NGE: (Not) the End
by Fyrstorm
Summary: Another Eva AU. The Angels are late, the Eva series finally finished. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean life's any nicer to poor Shinji Ikari, thanks to terrifying monsters, semi-psychotic Brits, and countless other problems. Hopefully, this is as bad as it gets. Probably not. Contains sarcasm, bloody combat, liberal cussing, and awkward hormone stuff.
1. Chapter 001

Out, in the deep, blue-green oceans, something awoke. Sediments billowed up, the being slowly rising from the sea floor. Skin, dark and verdant, sheathed its massive form in an impenetrable coat. Armour, white and chalky, flashed the faint glimmers of sunlight off its surface. And among this darkness and paleness, a gleaming gem glowed, one single point of light sparking in its heart.

.

It rose, a dual set of fins breaching the surface and rushing towards the shore.

Giant.

Demon.

Devil.

Monster.

 _Daikaiju_.

These were all words that sprang to mind, in the heads of the soldiers waiting on the beach. But they were not its true name.

Up ahead, on the shoreline, wave after wave of tanks, MLRS systems, and assault VTOLs sat and hung, weapons trained on the advancing shape, waiting to open fire.

.

Waiting for the _Angel_.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 001: This is (Not) a Good Idea**

 _\- 2017 AD. T+17 years, Second Impact_.

 _"_ _We're sorry,"_ came the calm reply of an automated voice. _"Your call can not be brought through, due to the ongoing state of special emergency. Please try again later."_

 _Click_.

.

The boy sighed, and hung up, stuffing the useless cell phone back into his pocket. First the pay phone, now his personal one as well?

"'Special emergency'?" he asked aloud. "What does that even _mean_? What am I supposed to do now?"

Irritated, the sixteen-year old Shinji Ikari shoved his hand into his other pocket, rummaging around.

The boy, at first glance, seemed… rather average. Brown eyes, dark brown hair, and a fairly lithe build weren't exactly uncommon phenotypes in Japan. A small, red half-leaf charm was pinned up on his left breast- a gift from two years ago.

Shinji's hands finally came up, the contents of his pockets in tow. They weren't very impressive; a wallet containing some meager cash and his ID card, a small key ring, two hard candies, and several neatly folded pieces of paper. Among the latter was the reason why Shinji was in this mess; a letter from his father. The boy flipped it open, and read the message once more.

.

 _Shinji, I have need of you._

 _Come to the third-to-last stop on the train as soon as you can; a woman by the name of Katsuragi will be there to pick you up._

 _Do not worry, everything will be explained later._

 _\- Ikari Gendo_

.

Shinji let out a breath, folding up the slip of paper once more.

 _~"Have need of you." That's_ just _as bad as this nebulous "special emergency".~_

This day could _not_ get worse.

.

With a mechanical scream, a pair of jet fighters swooped over top! Missiles and cannons fired, the supersonic roar of the planes' engines shattering windows and forcing the boy to cover his ears!

" _Gah!_ Wha-what the hell? What's going-"

Moments later, an unearthly howl cut over the weapons fire, as a _giant monster_ loomed above the buildings, visible even from where the boy stood. It must've been truly giant- fifty or sixty meters at least. Its skin was smooth, dark green- and somehow _completely_ unscathed by the weapons peppering it. Fins ran down its limbs and back, terminating in a whip-like tail that lashed out at the offending aircraft. A face like a bird's skull protruded from the front of its torso, just above a ribcage covering a shining red sphere.

Whatever the hell this _thing_ was… it looked pissed.

And it looked even _more_ pissed when a missile the size of its arm slammed into its back, throwing the monster face-first into a building. The cloud of shrapnel stopped barely a block before Shinji, but the shockwave knocked him off his feet. Hands smashing into the remains of the building, the monster reared up against the fiery backlight, howling ag-

-a car screeched to a halt between Shinji and the _thing_ , side door flung open in an instant.

"Get in!"

Panicked, Shinji scrambled into the vehicle, shutting and locking the door behind him as fast as he humanly can. The driver put the pedal to the metal, and the car tore away down a side street.

.

* * *

The boy had questions. And now, in the relative safety of the vehicle, he could finally ask them.

"I-who are you? What is that thing?! What's going on here?"

The driver- Shinji noticed- was a woman somewhere in her late twenties, with purple-accented hair and an outfit that his teenaged mind can't help but notice is a _bit_ tight in certain places. However, giant monsters and repeated explosions put a considerable damper on the boy's hormones. Instead of her figure, he focused on her face, desperate for _some_ answers.

"Misato. Misato Katsuragi," she grunted, just barely steering her Alpine around a gunship crashing into the middle of the road. "That big monster back there? We- NERV, that is- call it an Angel. That one back there's the _Fourth_ Angel, to be precise. Codenamed 'Sa-"

 _Katsuragi. NERV._

"W-wait, NERV?" Shinji interrupted. "Where my father works?"

Misato nodded. "Yep. Your dad sent me to pick you up; you're needed."

Shinji blinked. Well, that's _one_ mystery solved. "Sorry, but... needed? I know we've talked a bit, but _what_ does father need me _for_?"

"He- oh, _shit_!" Misato's eyes widened. The woman slammed on the brakes- just as the Angel's foot smashes into the pavement, its unearthly howl echoing through the air! Luckily for Shinji, he'd buckled up about halfway back. _Unluckily_ for him, the _giant, airplane-killing, missile-proof monster_ is right in front of them.

The two shrunk back from the monster, hoping that it doesn't look their way, doesn't notice them, just _keeps moving along_.

As if the universe were trying to spite them, the Angel turns their way, its empty eye sockets twisting to look down at the small, blue car.

.

In unison, Misato and Shinji swallowed.

"Well, kid…" the woman muttered, half to herself. " I'm not entirely sure what the technical term is for this situation, but I'm going to go with ' _absolutely fucked_ '. Unless a miracle drops from the sky, I'd say we're kinda done f-"

 _*ring ring*_

Misato's eyes dropped to the electronic tablet set into the dashboard. Displayed on it was a telephone number. For her, a very _familiar_ telephone number.

"...Shit."

The woman's eyes shot up, past the top of the Angel.

"Shinji," she said. "We might want to duck and cover. Backup's here."

.

* * *

High above the city, a Delta-wing aircraft more than twice the size of the Angel soared. Clamped to its underside, an elongated, mechanical shape.

 _"_ _First stage activated. Plug depth set at 3 meters. LCL Ionization beginning."_

An intake of breath. The primordial liquid tastes deliciously like iron-rich blood, the electric crackle sending a shiver up her spine. _God_ , she loves this feeling. It's been far too long since she's indulged herself like this.

 _"_ _First stage successful. Prepping for secondary stage connections. Neural language set to English. Enhancement equipment activating."_

The wire frame inside her garment buzzes from the conductive charge, the thick red visor clears from the inside. Pupils in a sea of turquoise dilate, electric green flickering in the coloured ring of muscle.

Here it comes.

 _"_ _Secondary stage successful. Final stage connections activating in three… two… one…"_

.

 ** _Awake returned you're back you're here I'm so happy are we going to do it yes god yes we will me and you and us we'll kill it together rip it apart rip it apart bones and blood and meat and metal claws and teeth and blades and feet and now as one_**

 ** _WE ARE ONE._**

.

The pilot shudders, the green cables clipped along her arms igniting along their lengths with an inner fire. Red letters ignite on the surface of her helmet. Lips draw back in a predatory grin.

 _"_ _Final stage successful. Synchro holding at 76.1%."_

Explosive bolts in the carriage detonate in sequence, and the mechanical shape drops down, unfolding spider-like limbs in preparation for combat.

 _"_ _Evangelion Unit-05..."_

.

 _"_ _...has activated."_

.

.


	2. Chapter 002

The monster stares down at them with empty eye sockets. Points of light spark in the depths of its skull, a warbling rumble coming from deep in its body.

"Shinji, we might want to duck and cover. Backup's here."

The sixteen-year-old's mind is, at this point, simply screaming _what the hell, what the hell, what the hell_ over and over again. In the last few minutes, he's nearly been killed _three times_ , asked a few questions and gotten some rather confusing answers in return, and- oh yeah- _the city is_ _under attack by a_ _ **giant monster**_. Shinji was just about ready to give up all together, and didn't even resist when Misato shoved his head between his knees.

A moment later, the Angel's rumbling is cut off- as a 30,000 ton blur of silver and green rams it at sufficient velocity.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 002: This is Completely (In)sane**

The Fourth Angel crashes into the ground, concrete and steel shattering around it! Sixty meters of _daikaiju_ continue down the street, until its claws bring it to a stop. The Angel rises up, eyes sparking with rage at this interruption! Where is this foe?! The Angel will tear it to pieces!

It doesn't take long at all to spot the one responsible.

An equally massive monster waited for it, body tensed for combat. Four spidery legs grew from its undercarriage, each sheathed in dull green and grey armour, and tipped with a treaded wheel, while still-glowing rocket thrusters sprouted from under its thighs. A muscled body rose up from this base, covered in silvery segments of plating, chest pointed like a ship's prow. Its shoulders were just as broad as its foes, covered in more dull green armour. From each angular arm sprouted four hooked claws, bared for combat- while a large plate extended up from the top of each shoulder. The _thing's_ head was more like a helmet, with a long, conical forehead and a golden v-shaped visor.

Was the Angel scared? No- it had not been scared before, and had no reason to start now. But was it _uneasy_?

...Yes.

Yes it was. This thing held itself like a beast, limbs waiting to tear into its foe's flesh, to destroy utterly. A palpable sense of malice exuded itself from the metallic being, demanding combat.

.

Very well.

The Angel's tail lashed behind it. If this monster wanted a fight, it'd get it.

.

* * *

The world had stopped shaking at last. Cautiously, Shinji drew his head up, Misato following soon after. Slowly, the two of them peeked over the dashboard. Shinji's eyes widened.

 _Another_ giant monster. Why. Why did the universe hate him so?

"M-Misato…" the sixteen-year-old stuttered, pointing at the four-legged monstrosity towering over them.

.

Strangely enough, Misato didn't look nearly as terrified as Shinji had expected. If anything, she looked _miffed_.

" _Fucking idiot_. She's landed _right above us_ ," Shinji swore he heard her mutter, before Misato reached for the dash's tablet. The woman punched the 'receive call' button, and fixed the tablet- currently displaying the image of some foreign girl Shinji didn't know- with a death glare.

 _"_ _Mari!"_ she snapped, making Shinji tense up. " _What the hell were you thinking?_ You nearly crushed us under Unit-05, you irresponsible _psychopath!"_

 _"_ _Mya mya mya, you're_ such _a stick in the mud, Miso. Not even gonna say hello to little ol' me? Fine; but weren't you supposed to be out of here a few minutes ago? Or did you get lost again?"_ a British-accented voice purred back mischievously.

"Yes, I got lost! So _what?!_ I'm not in the mood to listen to your yammering commentary, Mari! Get us out of here!" Misato barked in reply.

The screech of metal gets Shinji's attention, as the monster's hind foot shifted away. Misato glances up, a look of horror passing her face.

"You're kidding me."

"Misato? What's it do-"

 _"_ _Alrighty! Have fun!~"_ the girl on the phone interrupted, sounding _far_ more enthused than anyone _should be_ in this situation. The foot swung out, caught the car in its backside, and shoved it away! Through some miracle, Misato managed to start the engine midspin, boosting away from the two monsters.

.

* * *

As the slightly battered car rumbled away, leaving the city at last, Shinji spoke up.

"...Misato?"

"Yes, Shinji?" the woman replies.

"... _What_ the _actual fuck was that?"_ Shinji demanded.

The woman slouched, looking back to the road. "It's a long story."

Shinji arcs an eyebrow. She'll have to do better than just _that_.

Misato sighs. "Fine, I'll explain."

.

"That second monster? The one that kicked us? We call it a Multiple-Purpose Decisive Battle Humanoid Weapon Evangelion- or Eva, for those of us who don't fancy using a soup of words each time we want to talk about them. It's a giant bio-robot, designed to fight and kill Angels. As of three months ago, there are six- seven, depending on how you count things- Eva Units stationed around the globe. Now _that_ one," Misato jerked a finger back towards the city. "Who simultaneously saved and kicked our asses back there? It's designated as Evangelion Unit-05." Misato purses her lips. "Unit-05… well, it's a bit… _unique_ , I guess you could say."

.

* * *

"Come on, _fight me!"_ Mari screamed, Unit-05 slamming its forefeet into the ground. The Angel- identified as 'Sachiel' by her HUD- screeched back, tail lashing. Another light flashed, showing a vertically flipped 'not-equal' sign.

The girl's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Phase space _neutralized_. Fine then, mister birdy. _I'll_ come to _you_ then," she grinned. "But I'll warn you… _I don't come with safe words_."

Unit-05's horns roar, the Evangelion throwing itself at the Angel! In the matter of a few seconds, the cyborg was upon it, ramming a titanium fist into Sachiel's mask!

"Dagger!"

The Eva reached across, its shoulder fin unfolding. The fingers closed on a handle, and Unit-05 slashed out! The rapidly extending blade sliced through the unbroken green, spraying its wielder with indigo blood! Sachiel staggered back, the flap of skin falling down to reveal slimy black musculature. The wound's warping, orange and blue fluids soaking out and rapidly regrowing into the green covering.

Mari's eyes twinkled maliciously.

"Healing factor, mm? _Fun._ "

The duo charged each other once more, Unit-05 lashing out with its knife-

The Angel's tail wrapped around its wrist, and yanked the Eva's arm to the side.

 _"_ _Wha-"_

Sachiel warbled, throwing a fist into the Eva's left shoulder! With a crunch, the shoulder pylon crumpled, a set of spiked wires coming loose. Unit-05 stumbled, crashing to the ground from the blow's force, as Sachiel's tail released its hold.

Not a second later, the bio-mecha's head snapped back up, as thrusters along its thighs and under its shoulder blades ignited! The engines roared, Unit-05 surging back upright with a muffled snarl!

In an instant, Sachiel was upon it, claws ripping into machinery and armour! Unit-05 drives a knee into Sachiel's ribs, equalizing their ground again. The Angel stumbled back, only to glare up.

Its eyes flashed white.

.

The beam of light slammed into Unit-05's stomach like a train, melting through layers of armour! A chunk of plate fell off, revealing steaming pink flesh crossed with smouldering wires. Mari doubled over, clutching her own stomach in pain.

.

Blue-green eyes burn with hatred beneath her suit's visor. The girl looked up.

"Congratulations, Angel," the girl spat, teeth gritted. "You've just _pissed me off."_

.

* * *

"So, just wait a second. Let me get this straight," Shinji said. He'd been listening to this explanation for the last half an hour, and the boy _really_ wanted to make sure that this _wasn't_ just some made-up fever dream.

"So, the Earth is being threatened by giant alien monsters, who want to wipe out all of humanity because… you don't know why. Because even _N2 weapons_ can't slow them down, a team of scientists- including my _mother and father_ \- had to come up with a solution. And they came up with…" Shinji paused for a breath. "... _Giant. Robots_."

"Well, _technically_ ," Misato replied. "The Evas aren't _robots_. They're-"

"- _Bio_ -robots, yes. But- so, my _mom_ and _dad_ and a bunch of other people made NERV, which my father is in charge of, in order to make and _use_ these _giant ro-_ " Shinji stops himself. "These giant _bio_ -robots. NERV's base is in somewhere called the 'Geofront', which is _underneath_ Tokyo-3 in Hakone."

"Furthermore- and stop me if I'm getting this wrong- these _giant bio-robots_ can only be controlled by _teenagers_ for some reason. And now, with these _giant alien monsters_ attacking, my father- who, mind you, I have not physically been face-to-face with for _ten years_ , save _one_ occasion- decides that _I_ need to get over to NERV, and _get in_ one of the _giant bio-robots_ in order to _fight the monsters in hand-to-hand combat to prevent the extinction of humanity?!"_

.

Misato nodded. "Yep. Sounds about right."

Shinji's hand was formally introduced to his face.

"That is the most _contrived_ thing I have ever heard. D-do they know how much this sounds like an anime? Because next thing, you'll be telling me that I'll be living with the other pilots, that I have to wear some _ridiculous outfit_ to pilot, or that- I don't know- _you're_ going to be my guardian instead of my father!"

"Er…"

Misato chuckled weakly. Shinji stared in horror.

"No. Which… which ones?"

The woman bites her lip. "...all three."

.

Shinji's head fell into his lap. "Oh my _god_."

.

* * *

The only bad thing about piloting Eva, Mari reflected, was the feedback. For instance, the _very_ realistic feeling of blood loss and agony that came with having one's stomach blasted multiple times by a giant, skull-faced monster's eye lasers. Unit-05's reptilian hindbrain has been hammering inside her skull for a solid five minutes, driving up a pounding migraine that's making it _really goddamn difficult_ to focus on the Angel, even _if_ she doesn't have to worry about running out of power for another thirty minutes- _thank you_ , battery pack!

 _"_ _Alright, you son of a bitch, die already!"_ Mari roared, throwing Unit-05 forwards again! The Eva released its knife, reaching out with hooked fingers in an attempt to tear open the Angel's ribcage, to reach its Core, to _kill and eat rip and tear it all to sh-_

A set of three-fingered talons wrap around Unit-05's hands, jolting Mari back to reality! The girl bares her teeth, struggling to free her Unit's limbs- but the Angel held fast, tightening its grip until the metal appendages started to _buckle_. Unit-05 was _completely immobilized_.

Snarling in animalistic frustration, Mari's eye twitched.

"You're kidding me."

Seemingly in response, the Angel's eyes flashed with something resembling contempt.

It's then that Mari noticed the spikes on its elbows- they're _glowing_. And _lengthening_. All too late to do anything, she notices what's happening.

"...oh, _fuck me sideways_."

With an electric scream, the spikes shoot down the Angel's arms- and come out the other end, spitting through Unit-05's arms! Mari screams, her suit's sleeves flaring as the circuitry overloaded catastrophically! The spikes withdraw… and fired _again_.

 _Eeeeeeeee-shunk!_

And _again_.

 _Eeeeeeeee-shunk!_

And _again_.

 _Eeeeeeeee-shunk!_

.

Unit-05 was shaking and crumpling, only held up by the burning spits running through the center of its melting arms. Contemptuously, the Angel spread its arms, _ripping_ the mechanical limbs off at the elbow! With an unnervingly _human_ scream, the Evangelion collapsed to the ground, convulsing as orange blood and electric sparks gushed from its wounds.

Satisfied with its work, Sachiel turned away, moving out. It didn't even care that its foe was still barely alive- soon, nothing will.


	3. Chapter 003

The battered Alpine rolled up to the immense blast-doors, and halts. A camera zoomed in, verifying that yes, this is indeed Captain Katsuragi, and yes, she _does_ have Shinji Ikari with her. The doors slid open.

They're here. Finally.

With the long car ride, Shinji managed to get most of the _utter disbelief that this was actually happening_ out of his system- and actually learned a few things.

Such as the fact that Mari, the girl who was piloting Unit-05, is- in Misato's words- 'completely batshit insane'.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 003: This is (Not) Happening**

The car sits, trundling down what's essentially a giant escalator for cars. Finally, Shinji pops the question.

"There's… really no way to avoid having to pilot, is there?"

Misato shakes her head. "The Commander personally requested it. But don't worry! You're not by yourself in this!"

Shinji sinks into his seat. "Yeah."

With that, the two of them simply sit, waiting in silence.

Eventually, the car is shunted from the escalator to a moving road, heading deeper and deeper underground. There's no radio reception, and Shinji's SDAT needs new batteries, so Misato and Shinji's only real outlet would be talking to each-other.

Misato decides to speak up.

"It's orange, just so you know."

The sixteen-year-old boy turns, blinking in confusion at the non sequitur.

"...orange? What's orange?"

"The Eva you'll be piloting," Misato replies. "Evangelion Prototype Unit-00. It's orange."

"I'm… piloting the prototype?"

"Yep. Normally, we'd have you pilot Unit-01… only she's out of commission; went berserk a few weeks ago, hospitalized the pilot. So Unit-00's gonna be yours for a while."

Shinji swallowed. These things could hospitalize their pilots?! That didn't bode well.

Catching the worry on his face, Misato waved her hands. "Don't worry! Unit-00's a lot more mellow than Unit-01! You'll be perfectly fine with a little training! In fact, I bet you'll be ready to fight the Angel by tonight without… you know…" the woman trailed off.

Shinji calmed, nodding. Then the words sink in.

"W-wait, _tonight?!"_

* * *

Mari gritted her teeth, struggling to resist clawing at her arms. Her sleeves had been completely torn off immediately after Unit-05's recovery- but the overloaded circuits had left some _hellishly_ painful burns criss-crossing up and down her arms. Thankfully, a few shots of painkillers had started to finally take effect, meaning that Mari could now move without risking screaming in agony.

As she was wheeled down the hallway, the Brit cursed under her breath; cursing the Angel, cursing her arms, cursing the screwed-up world in general. What a way to make an entrance into Japan.

Damn. This _really, really_ hurt.

She was going to need _something_ to distract her. And… now that she thought about it… wasn't there supposed to be a new pilot coming in? Maybe that was why Miso was so cheesed with her. Hm. Looked like she might have something to do after all. Mari's burns brushed against the side of the trolley, and the girl bit back a vivid curse.

Maybe _after_ the damn pain meds kicked in all the way.

* * *

The room was very dark, Shinji noted, standing between Misato and the head of the Research Division, Doctor Ritsuko Akagi. As there wasn't an ongoing power loss, Shinji thought, this must be for… dramatic… reveal. Crap.

"And here it is," Akagi announced, clicking a remote. "The Prototype Bio-Robot, Evangelion Unit-00!"

The lights flicked on, a massive head appearing only a few meters from the trio, red eye staring them down. The boy yelped, backpedalling a few steps away, before Misato catches him.

Unit-00 is kinda imposing, though- at least the bit that protrudes above the orange liquid that it's partially submerged in. Its armour is a combination of pale orange, creamy white, and matte blue-grey, the orange wrapping around most of its head like a helmet. In the middle of the thin face is a single camera eye, dull and crimson, aperture closed. On each cheek are extended plates- which seem to be built to snap together across the face- and twin sockets, metal gleaming in their centers.

Shinji holds his chest, panting. While Unit-05 was _certainly_ big and scary, it at least wasn't _right in his face_ when it showed up.

And this was the robot he was supposed to _pilot_.

Shinji swallowed, looking around.

"I-er… wha-what now?"

It wasn't Misato or Dr. Akagi who answered. No, someone _else_ replied. "Now, son, we prepare for battle."

Shinji looked up, above Unit-00, to a viewing box built into the wall.

Commander Gendo Ikari looked back.

"It's been a while, Shinji…"

* * *

How was he supposed to feel about this? His father- whom he hadn't been face-to-face with in _three years_ \- had finally met up with him, and then immediately told him to fight _daikaiju_. Granted, Misato had explained this to him beforehand, but…

One word came to his lips.

"Why?"

Gendo raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Why must you pilot Unit-00? Why are you the one selected to do so? Why is the first thing I do to command you to perform such duties?"

The boy nodded, whispering a 'yes' under his breath. The Commander adjusted his bronze-tinted glasses.

"It's simple. Of the now three Evangelion Units that NERV Headquarters currently possesses, Unit-00 is the only one not in stasis or heavily damaged. As such, it will be able to operate at optimal performance in combat against the Angels."

"Similarly, you are the only Child who has not sustained lasting harm as of yet; The First Child is hospitalized, the Fifth- while less severely injured- is in no way in adequate shape for piloting duties. It's only for those reasons that you and Unit-00 will be seeing combat."

And here, Shinji interrupts.

"But father, why am _I_ even supposed to pilot in the first place? Why choose _me_ , of all people?! I-I get you need someone who isn't hurt, but there's got to be hundreds of other teenagers out there more fit to pilot a giant robot in the first place! Hundreds of others who'd _look forwards_ to doing it! I'm certainly not!"

Gendo looks down, seeming calm and collected.

"Son," he begins, "I require your trust on this. We may not see eye-to-eye, but I _do_ , in fact, need you. I can't explain to you why, but you are the _only_ one who is able to do this. Only a handful of special people can possibly pilot Eva- _you_ are one such special." His tone hardens, as Gendo the Father slips back, and Gendo the Commander steps forwards.

"However, I _am_ the Commander of NERV. I can't simply focus on my family, and make allowances for them; I have every life under myself to take into account. So when I tell you this, it is not a request. It is an _order_. Shinji Ikari, you _will_ pilot the Eva. You _will_ fight the Angel. And you _will_ defeat it, or else humankind will _die_. That is all."

As Gendo turns away, disappearing from view, he says one last thing, barely audible through the speaker systems.

"Good luck, Shinji."

* * *

It had taken about half an hour of contemplation and Misato's assurance before Shinji had finally gotten into Unit-00 for a test activation. Getting into the Eva in itself was pretty weird. Apparently, Shinji had to sit in an 'Entry Plug', on some seat that sort of resembled a stretched-out saddle with enlarged control grips. The Plug was then inserted into a cavity at the back of the Eva's neck, which was normally protected by a retracting armour plate.

Shinji sat, hands on the control grips, reclining against the back of the seat. A few lights spaced around the Plug's circumference provided light, but the walls stayed dark and grey.

"Er… hello? Doctor? Misato?" Shinji asked, hoping that the Eva had some sort of-

 _"_ _Yes, Shinji?"_ came the slightly electrified voice of Dr. Akagi. Good, the Evas _did_ have some sort of comms link set up.

"Um, Doctor… Is… is something wrong? The Eva… Unit-00's not _doing_ anything. Should… should that be happening- er… _not_ happening?"

 _"_ _Don't worry, we're just about ready to fill the Entry Plug with LCL. Then we'll get started."_

Shinji blinked. "LC what now?"

Suddenly, minute panels along the interior folded open, a series of nozzles extending! Almost as soon as they were out, an orange liquid that was _definitely not orange juice_ started gushing out, pooling at one end of the Plug! Shinji yelped, watching as the fluid level began to rise dangerously close to him.

 _"_ _Shinji, calm down!"_ Misato spoke up.

"C-calm down?! Easy for you to say, you're not the one who's about to-to-" Shinji's speech cut off as he took a deep breath; the LCL had reached his head.

Unfortunately, Shinji had never really taken swimming classes as priority, and his breath was starting to run out.

 _"_ _Shinji, it's breathable!"_ Dr. Akagi came in. _"LCL is oxygenated; you're in no danger of drowning!"_

Well, not like he had a choice anyways. Out of air at last, Shinji reflexively took a breath- or rather, a big gulp of LCL. The boy coughed, choking down the orange fluid, lungs burning.

Coughing, Shinji took another breath- and his eyes opened. He… he could breath! He wasn't drowning, wasn't choking to death, though he _had_ nearly had a heart attack.

Breathing heavily, Shinji collapsed back, hands falling to his sides.

"Wha… _why_ did we have to do that?" he asked.

Again, it's Doctor Akagi who responds.

 _"_ _The LCL is an important part in synchronizing your mind with the Eva's body; it's impossible to control one without it."_

Shinji groaned. If this turned out to be a regular thing… well, then this wasn't going to be enjoyable. Not one bit.

"Let's… let's just get this over with," he sighed, waiting for the next part.

 _"_ _Alright then. Maya, begin Unit-00's test activation sequence."_

Another voice came in, younger than either of the two women.

 _"_ _Yes, Doctor. Beginning Unit-00 test activation sequence."_ Shinji wriggled upright, unconsciously noting that his clothes were soaked with the orange stuff- luckily, his SDAT was waterproofed just in case.

 _"_ _First stage activated. Plug depth set at 3.2 meters. LCL Ionization beginning."_

A static charge disperses through the liquid, turning it transparent. It's not a painful shock for Shinji, but it certainly gets his attention.

 _"_ _First stage successful. Prepping for secondary stage connections. Neural language set to Japanese."_

Gripping the control grips, he leans upright, watching as the walls start to flicker with light. The console's buttons illuminate with colour, a low whir filling the not-quite-air.

 _"_ _Alright, Shinji,"_ says Misato. _"Doing well. Just one last part."_

 _"_ _Secondary stage successful. Final stage connections activating in three… two… one…"_

Shinji nods, and then-

It-it-it-it

it's in

his head.

 _New new new is it a new master what is it so small and pink look watch poke it prod it mind and body tall tall as sky orange white the armour hurts everything hurts pain pain rage fear curious sleep wake feed who are you who are you_

 _who_

 _are_

 _you._

Shinji shakes, begging for the voice _the voice the voice_ to go away _leave me alone_. He can _feel_ it looking _searching climbing_ into his _brain_.

 _Please… please… please…_ he thinks, breathing heavily.

Reluctantly, the interrogator fades away, leaving a lingering presence in the back of his mind.

For what seems like the tenth time today, Shinji curses.

"What. The _f***_. Was _that_."

From the chatter going on over the comms, he's guessing something's happened. Then Maya speaks, and everyone else is quiet.

 _"_ _Final stage successful. Synchro holding at… 28.3%."_

 _"_ _Eva Unit-00… has successfully activated."_

With that, cheers break out on the other end of the line, several different people trying to aim congratulations at… _at him?_

"G-guys?" Shinji tries to say. "N-no, seriously. Wh-what the actual hell just happened? Guys?!"

Misato takes the comms this time. _"It worked, ShinjI! You're in control of Unit-00!"_

Doctor Akagi follows up, clarifying. _"Don't worry Shinji, the first time you synchronize is always the toughest. These things have a vestigial mind, and it usually takes a 'look'- so to speak- at a Pilot's psyche the first ti- Captain Katsuragi, alcohol is_ not _allowed in Central Dogma! You_ know _that!"_

As the chatter continues, the boy reclines back into his seat.

"So… guess I can _start_ one of these things," he mutters.

" _Wonderful_. Now, actually being able to _move_ it would be _just peachy_."

* * *

Luckily, the control tests didn't require Shinji to get out of Unit-00- he _really_ didn't want to have to transition from air to LCL, or vice-versa, and more times than he had to.

Apparently, the control grips were more of a mental focus- quite a bit of control was simply done by the Pilot _thinking_ about performing the action. But that didn't mean they were useless- the grips were important for targeting, firing the weapons systems (weapons systems!), and generalized movement- not to mention they were quite handy for an inexperienced Pilot like Shinji.

After nearly an hour of basic training and stumbling around the Geofront's field, Shinji was now able to get Unit-00 to walk, stand back up, and throw an adequate punch. As the giant bio-robot stepped back to the hangers, the comms started back up.

It was Misato, _sounding_ like a Captain.

 _"_ _Shinji, quick change of plans. The Angel… it's here!"_

"It… the Angel's he-"

* * *

Above, two socketed eyes flashed.

The center of Tokyo-3 burst into flames, buildings swallowed by the massive cross-shaped burst of energy.

Though it is burnt and bruised, the Angel has not fallen.

* * *

Unit-00 staggers, losing its balance and crashing to earth.

 _"_ _Shinji, get to the launch chute!"_ Misato barked. The boy nodded, pushing to get the bio-robot upright again. With poor balance, the orange-plated humanoid managed to approximate a run, grabbing desperately at the rectangular framework extending up from the ground.

A minute later, Unit-00's arms and legs were clamped in place, Shinji breathing deeply in the Plug.

Though he tried to focus, his father's order kept popping into his mind.

 _You_ will _defeat it, or else humankind will_ die.

Shinji shook his head, Unit-00 mirroring the action sloppily.

 _I'm… I'm not going to let that happen,_ he thought, trying to look determined. _I'm not going to run away._

"R-ready."

 _"_ _Alright then,"_ Misato confirms. _" Charge the rail catapult! Prepare blast doors!"_ Electricity climbs up through the rails, putting the new Pilot on edge.

This is it.

No turning back now.

 _"_ _Evangelion Unit-00,_ launch!"

With a clap of thunder, the capacitors in the rail guides discharge, and the Eva goes from 0 to 170 meters-per-second, the shockwave throwing up a cloud of debris as Unit-00 rockets skyward at half the speed of sound!

For two seconds.

Almost immediately, the electromagnets reverse, just in time for the Evangelion to jolt to a halt on the surface. It takes Shinji's stomach a few more seconds to sink back to its normal position.

The Angel's there, just a kilometer or two away. Shinji's determination starts sinking under fear.

But then he feels the weight, the size, the _power_ of the body that is not his. Of Unit-00.

And he pushes back against the fear.


	4. Chapter 004

The Angel is in front of him.

The _Angel_ is _right in front of him_. And it's _getting closer_.

Shinji has no idea why the hell he's not screaming, why he's not cowering in terror. He knew he should be, for certain.

But maybe it's because of this body- the one he controls, the one that isn't his, the one that's 40 meters tall and weighs tens of thousands of tons.

Maybe it's because Unit-00 isn't afraid.

Maybe it's because, if he runs away, everyone dies.

 _~I_ _ **won't**_ _run away,~_ Shinji thinks again.

And Unit-00 balled its hands into fists.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 004: You Have (Not) Won**

The Angel looked... _different_. Physically, it seemed considerably more beat up- the dark green covering was tattered, exposing black, glistening musculature; its tail was half the length, ending in a burnt stump; the massive fins on its back were gone. But in response, Sachiel had gotten a whole lot scarier. As it advanced, Shinji swore he could feel the fury radiating off it, like heat boiling off an oven. Where fins used to be, spikes of bone have torn through the flesh, long and curved like teeth. A long crack runs down its face, the beak lengthened into a dagger. Its eyes almost continually burned with light, sparks flickering in the pits.

.

 _"_ _Alright, Shinji!"_ Misato says over the comms. _"Unit-00's armed with a Progressive Knife in its left shoulder pylon. Get it out, and take this ugly SOB_ down!"

"Right!" the Eva's hand comes out, the armour plate opening for the handle to slide out. With remarkable smoothness, Shinji drew the blade, pointing it at the Angel.

The monster responded, pace quickening into a charge. As the Angel bore down on him, Shinji struck forward, impaling its arm on his knife! The Angel connected a moment later, throwing an open hand at the Eva's chest. Balance thrown off, Unit-00 stumbled back, the blade left behind in its foe's flesh.

 _Nononononono don't fall over don't fall over!_ Shinji thought desperately.

Along the Eva's back, rocket nozzles ignite, gently pushing it back upright! Shinji furrowed his brow, planting his feet to steady himself. The Angel is snarling, trying to dig out the vibrating blade embedded in its arm, but without much luck.

Shinji sighed heavily, keeping his focus on the Angel. He _had_ to win.

"M-Misato. Anything else we've got?"

 _"_ _Unfortunately, you're not experienced enough with firearms, so no guns. But we_ should _have a few melee weapons ready for you. Those take some time to send up, but if all else fails, you can-"_

Misato was cut off, as the giant monster reasserted itself, pouncing at Shinji and Unit-00, claws extended!

"Not again!" the boy shouts, trying to brace for the impact!

.

… An impact that _didn't_ come. At least, not the one he'd been expecting.

A horn rips through the air, accompanied by a muffled howl. Looking up, Shinji saw a very familiar green and silver Eva body-slam the Angel, driving its knee into the monster's head!

* * *

Mari really shouldn't be doing this.

She should be in the hospital, getting her arms treated for the burns. Not piloting a psychologically scarring, 30,000 ton hunk of meat and metal that _doesn't have arms_ into battle.

Yeah, _fuck_ that.

Though she could feel every blow the Angel deals- every punch that shakes her skull, every rip that tears at her skin, every jab that doubles her over, every brush against her unit's non-existent arms that sets her nerves on edge- Mari wasn't giving up.

 _"_ _Mari, what the hell are you doing?!"_ Misato screamed through the radio.

"The _fuck's it look like!?_ " the Briton snapped back, keeping her gaze on-target.

With another furious howl, Unit-05 ignites its rockets, driving a pneumatic knee into the Angel's stomach with a wet crunch!

 _"_ _You're in no shape to pilot! Get out of there!"_

"Miso, if I can outrun my goddamn guards _and_ start Unit-05 _without_ the use of my arms, I don't think I- oh _fucking_ _shit_!"

Howling in fury, the injured beast strikes, latching onto the stumps of the Eva's arms and cutting off escape! Sachiel _heaves_ , and Unit-05 smashes through a building.

"N-no! You can't fail this t-time! _We_ c-can't fail this time!" Mari screamed, as the battery box still affixed to Unit-05's back finally snapped.

* * *

The Angel looms above the fallen Eva, and raises its arm, spreading its hand. Light flickers down the lengthening spike on its elbow, as it prepared to finish its troublesome foe off, once and for all.

 _F-zzzzzmmmmm..._

The Angel paused, upper torso swiveling towards the humming.

.

Unit-00's second Progressive Knife promptly tears through its protective rib cage.

* * *

" _AAAAAAAAAAAA_ -" Shinji screamed, swinging the blade in a broad arc! Somehow, the glowing blade ripped through the bone shell like paper, shards flying from the splintered edges! Sachiel screams, a mix of fury and agony colouring its voice, and retaliates!

Bony talons rips lines down Unit-00's armoured skin, the fiery pain mirroring itself on Shinji's body! The boy's screaming comes to a strangled halt, shocked by the pain. The Angel draws another arm back-

 _"_ _Oi, arsehole!"_

Unit-05 tears itself out of the building, spinning, and smashes a leg into the remains of the Angel's ribs! The armour crunches, falling off in chunks as the Angel staggers back.

Unit-05 gets up, standing beside Unit-00. Its head is partially busted in, its visor half-shattered, but it's still running.

 _"_ _Hey there, Third Child,"_ Mari chuckled, wishing her hands didn't hurt so much so that she could rub her aching head. _"The name's Mari Makinami-Illustrious, but just Mari works. How're you?"_

Shinji blinks.

"Um… I… I could be better. I'm… Shinji?" Unit-00 shifts, one eye glancing at the green Eva.

 _"_ _Nice meeting you, Shinji."_ nods back Unit-05, before its head whips back towards the Angel.

 _"_ _Now, let's do this!"_

"Right!" The orange Eva's cheek plates slide forwards, clamping together into a blast visor!

With that, the two Evas charge, not planning to let the Angel get any sort of opening!

.

Sachiel is back on its feet, the cuts on its armour and torso already covered over with bubbling flesh!

Unit-00's knife swings around, stabbing into the exposed, black musculature! Blue blood showers from the wound, and the Angel delivers a ringing blow to the Eva's head in retaliation! Before it can follow up, the other Eva's mechanical knee drives into its face, a splintered crack coming from the half-shattered mask! Swiftly, the leg shoots down, crushing the Angel's foot under the spinning tire.

The Angel's eyes flash, an energy beam melting the front of Unit-05's armour, spraying droplets of liquid metal! The Eva stumbles away, torso steaming and dripping.

An uppercut from Unit-00 comes out of nowhere, knocking the monster backwards into the building. Howling, the Angel turns its rage on the orange one, a burning spike firing through its hand, punching a hole through the fortified plates and out the other side!

In the Entry Plug, Shinji screams, holding himself tightly and trying to work through the agonizing pain of having a superheated spear pushed through his lungs. In the edge of his vision, he can see a warning of 'Umbilical Cable Disconnected', and some sort of countdown ticking away, going backwards from ten minutes…

"Thg-t-that c-can't be good…" the boy mutters, stumbling back as the Angel's other spike starts to glow.

* * *

"No you _don't_!"

This is, quite possibly, the _stupidest_ thing Mari has ever done. Stupider than body-slamming the Angel, stupider than getting back in Unit-05 after her injury, stupider than… than a lot of things.

Mari had clamped Unit-05's forelegs around the Angel's shoulders, straining to pull it back and away from Unit-00!

 _~And_ this _is the part where Princess would chew me out for being stupider than usual,~_ the part of her that wasn't screaming in pain/rage/bloodlust thought with a chuckle.

"Struggle all you like; I'm not letting go!"

The Angel bellows, swinging its arms in an attempt to strike the annoyance, only for Unit-05 to yank harder, pulling the Angel nearly off balance.

Hopefully, Shinji can gut this pig, and end it.

* * *

It hurts.

.

Shinji can't see any blood, any indication that he's been physically wounded, but the pain he feels seems _incredibly_ real.

The boy shakes, trying to get his mind onto other things. Like the Angel. Mari's holding it back, albeit just barely. After this, he really ought to thank her for saving his sorry hide three times. Maybe later. Time to end this.

Shinji wraps Unit-00's hands around the blue-stained Progressive Knife, and holds it as steady as his two shaking hands can manage.

.

And he charges.

In one smooth motion, Unit-00 drives the Prog Knife into the heart of the Angel.

The crystalline structure splinters, blue blood spraying out like a busted fire hydrant! Sachiel's cries jump to nearly ultrasonic, the Angel writhing like a mad thing from the fatal wound Shinji's dealt.

Surging forwards against its captor, the Angel's flesh liquefies, preparing for one last act of vengeance!

Unit-05 dives _through_ the Angel, placing itself before Unit-00 just as the Angel connects. The dying monster's flesh wraps around the duo, crushing them together as the exsanguinating core begins to glow white hot!

.

 _Boom._

.

A second later, the Angel explodes, a massive cross rising into the night sky.

* * *

When the fires have dimmed, the two Evangelions lie collapsed in the blast crater, armour steaming and melted, stained with the blue of the Angel's vapourized blood.

 _"_ _I…"_ Shinji's voice comes shakily over the comms. _"I don't want to do that again."_

 _"_ _Yeah… m-me neither,"_ Mari sighs in response. She doesn't even want to _move_ right now. _"Good… good job, Shinji. Good job. Now we've just got to face the music."_

* * *

Misato was waiting for them as soon as they'd gotten out of their Entry Plugs. The woman walked up to the duo, the scraggly boy in the soaked clothing, and the glasses-wearing girl in what's basically a skintight suit of armour.

"First things first… good job out there. Even though this was only the first time you've fought an Angel- or second, in Mari's case- you… you did it." Being right in front of them, it's not hard for Misato to reach out and embrace them, which she promptly does.

"No matter what happens, I am _incredibly_ proud of you two," the woman whispers, squeezing them tightly.

"M-miso! Arms!" Mari squawked, Shinji futilely wriggling against the Captain's grip.

At the sounds of protest, Misato releases, letting the two retract themselves.

"Ehe… sorry," she chuckles, before recomposing herself.

"Shinji, you're free to go. Make yourself to the garage and wait for me; I just have to talk with Mari a bit."

Tired, Shinji nods, hoping that there's somewhere he can change into clothes that _aren't_ stained with LCL. The elevator door shuts behind him with a cheerful ding.

* * *

"Well, Mari," Misato looks towards the girl, and sighed, brow furrowing. " What am I going to do with you? You dove into combat with reckless abandon; you _purposely_ fled the personnel tasked with keeping you safe; you _further_ crippled your Evangelion, which will take at least a _month_ to fully repair; and worst of all, you displayed utterly _no_ regard for your personal health, your safety, not even your own life!" Misato's worked herself up, shouting as distress and frustration boil off her.

"Before you head off to the hospital, and _stay there until you're fully recovered_ , I've got one last thing to say, Mari. Personal biases aside, I'd like you to tell me _why_ the _hell_ you decided that this was an acceptable course of action?!"

To Mari's credit, the girl doesn't back down or do something completely irrational. Instead, Mari replies as bluntly and directly as possible.

"Why? Simple; if the Third Child had died, we'd be _screwed_. Unit-01's in cryo-stasis, Units-02, 03, and 04 aren't even _in_ Japan, and there's _no way_ Unit-05 could have killed the Angel in its condition. Add that to the fact that the Third Child's a rookie, and our chances weren't looking good. But Unit-05 was _still_ perfectly capable at _supporting_ Unit-00 in combat, as you could easily see!"

The fire dies in Mari's eyes, the girl slumping onto the gunnery set out for her. "Guess I just figured the _world's_ a bit more important than little ol' Makinami's boo-boos. _That_ reason enough, Miso?"

"Mari, I…" The young woman starts.

"...Fine," she sighs. "We'll talk later. For now, just focus on getting better. Get… get well soon, Mari."

Lying down in wait for NERV personnel to arrive, the ghost of a smile plays across Mari's lips.

"Don't want my stuff in your apartment, mmm?"

* * *

Finally dried off, Shinji waited for the elevator to start up again. With a cheery chime, the doors opened up.

His father was inside.

Swallowing, Shinji stepped inside, the doors sliding shut behind him a few seconds later. As the lift began moving, Shinji and Gendo stood next to each-other, facing the door.

"Shinji?" his father asked, eyes flicking behind the amber shades.

"...Yes, father?"

A light nod. "Well done. For a first deployment, you... yielded quite an impressive result, even considering the Fifth's assistance. Good… good job."

...praise.

His father, the commander of NERV, has _praised_ him. Though it's awkwardly phrased, to say the least, it still leaves Shinji speechless for a good minute. Eventually, however, he responds.

"Th-thank you, father."

Gendo turns back to the door.

"So, where are you heading?"

"The garage. Misato told me to... wait for her there. Er, father? Am I really going to be staying with her?"

Gendo nods. "Indeed; I am unfortunately far too busy. Captain Katsuragi's quarters would be far more preferable, and she is there considerably more often than I am at my own."

"I'll see you later, Shinji."


	5. Chapter 005

A pair of brown eyes fluttered open, wavering for a moment before focusing on the ceiling above; a greyish plaster with a light fixture hanging down from the middle.

"Rise and shine, me," Shinji Ikari muttered, reaching up to rub his eyes. A dull ache hung behind his eyes, as if someone was squishing his brain inside his skull.

The boy grunted, and swung himself upright. He reached perpendicular, passed it, and slumped forwards. Shinji twisted, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. His feet touched down on the carpet, the soft fringes compressing under the pressure.

Shinji rolled his neck, wincing slightly at the crackle. There was work to be done, and caffeine to be had. Preferably in the opposite order.

The boy walked out into the hall, vaguely recalling where the kitchen was.

Did Shinji want coffee? No. Coffee was alright, but the bitter drink wasn't his preferred way to start the day.

Shinji wanted tea.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 005: An (In)Correct Assumption**

By the time Misato's biological clock would have started to bother her about getting up, Shinji felt _much_ better. Tea was… somewhat nostalgic for him. Its scent carried memories of better times to him; memories of a happy family, of a mother and father who loved him very much, of when everything was good.

The boy set the cup down, a faint shimmer of wetness tinting his eyes.

 _~If only…~_

He was glad Misato hadn't woken up yet, that he'd had this bit of time to himself. As thanks- for a variety of things- he'd left his new guardian a thermos of the remaining tea, and a heat-sealed container of breakfast out on the countertop for her. He'd also filled up the empty food bowl that had been lying around, despite the woman not having mentioned anything about a pet.

As Shinji sat on the couch, sipping at his tea, his mind drifted from the past, drawing back to the events of the previous night...

* * *

After the two had made it to the apartment building, they'd taken the elevator all the way to the top floor, and walked all the way down to the end. Not promising for fire safety, Shinji had reflected.

"And here we are, Shinji!" Misato had announced enthusiastically. "My home! And as long as you're here, this place will be _your_ home as well!"

The door had slid open, and Shinji had simply _stared_ at the mess inside.

With near-perfect comic timing, Misato had rubbed the back of her head with embarrassment.

"...Admittedly, I'm not used to having many people over, so the place may be a _little_ messy."

Had Shinji not just been through the most hellish experience of his life, he might actually have replied with a snide remark.

Instead, he just _stared_ at the train-wrecked interior with the same sort of horror that should be have been reserved for the Angel.

.

"Well!" The woman had announced. "No sense in standing out here! Let's go!"

With that, Misato had dragged him inside, the door sliding shut behind him.

.

Once inside, he'd gotten an even better look at the disorganised mess. It could easily have been worse- there weren't any large clumps of mold, nor a particularly great number of flies, and at least he could see _some_ attempt at keeping things accounted for- but the place was just… bothersome.

Had Shinji been less worn out, he might have insisted on cleaning up; but all he'd managed was a request for dinner and a bed.

The former had been a fairly normal event; just a small meal of various microwaveable instant foods. At the very least, it was filling.

After that? Well, he'd simply collapsed onto the guest bed, and gone to sleep.

* * *

Shinji shrugged, and drained the last of his cup. When one has recently fought a giant monster, small things like that seem to pale in comparison.

"I smell foo~ood," came a sleepy, sing-song voice from down the hall.

 _~Well, Misato's up,~_ the boy thought.

"On the counter, Ms. Katsuragi," he replied, glancing over. The woman strolled in, her dark hair tied back in a bun.

"Thanks, kiddo," she yawned, stretching as the boy looked away. "But just call me Misato. 'Ms. Katsuragi' makes me feel old, and I don't need to be called 'Captain' unless we're in a fight." The young Ikari nodded.

"If you insist… Misato."

There was a pop, as the container lid was pulled off, followed by the sound of munching.

.

"Shinji, thish is _really goob_!"

The boy sighed, brushing the comment off.

"I just used what we had in the fridge, Misato."

"Yeah, but you made it delicious! If you cook this well, I may just keep ya around for good!" she joked, walking over with the container in her hands. Shinji rolled his eyes at the comment.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Misato chuckled, plopping down on the couch. The young woman smiled, and sighed.

"Just so you know, I'll be leaving for work in a bit," she said. "Cleaning up the crime scene, as it is. You think you're fine by yourself for the day, Shinji? I can't exactly take you with me here."

"Because that's how things work here? I make the messes, and you clean them up?" Shinji deadpanned. Misato snorted.

"More like we don't have a biohazard suit that fits you," she snarked back.

"That, and it'd break the laws against child endangerment even more than NERV does normally. Seems like Angels are the messy kind." Misato took a drink of the tea.

"...Huh. That's new." She blinked, and looked over at Shinji. "What type is this?"

"Family blend," the boy replied. "I… I'll be fine here. I'm used to being alone."

The woman smiled, a far more sympathetic expression than before.

"... alright."

With a lurch, the Captain rose to her feet.

" _Okay_ , then! So, just so you know, somebody's probably going to drop off some paperwork later today; it's related to your new position at NERV. Feel free to start reading through if I'm not back home by then."

The woman turned back towards the hallway, pausing just at the transitional point.

"Good luck, Shinji."

* * *

.

It had been about two hours since Misato had left.

Shinji lay on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Next to him was his SDAT, Track 24 playing through his earbuds. The boy raised a hand, studying it with an air of boredom.

"..."

Shinji sighed, hand falling back to his side. As Track 24 ended, and Track 25 began, the boy's eyelids slid shut, his mind beginning to drift off to sleep…

"Wark?"

A single eye fluttered open, looking to the side. The second quickly followed, as Shinji found himself staring into the face of…

...A penguin.

.

 _"_ _...what."_

The penguin blinked, head tilting in curiosity. Something jingled around its neck, catching the boy's attention. Around the penguin's neck was what could only loosely be referred to as a collar, the words 'Pen-Pen' engraved on a metal tablet.

"...Pen… Pen?" Shinji asked slowly.

"Wark."

The boy sat up, still focused on the red-crested penguin. He seemed surprisingly calm.

Then again, Misato apparently having a _penguin_ in her house was really nothing when compared to giant monsters.

Still under Shinji's gaze, 'Pen-Pen' waddled off towards the fridge. The bird looked at the handle, and made a noise that sounded _curiously_ like an exasperated sigh.

 _*Shink*_

The penguin raised a flipper, and a trio of claws slid out, wriggling and grasping the handle.

Shinji's eyes widened.

"...what. The _hell._ "

The clawed penguin paid him no heed, opening the door and pulling out a can of beer with another set of talons. The bird promptly popped the tab, took a straw from a holster on his side of the fridge door, and waddled off, drink in flipper.

* * *

 _Thump thump thump._

 _~...Misato?~_ the boy wondered, standing up from the couch.

Shinji walked to the door, and tapped the 'open' button. The door slid open, revealing someone that Shinji had never seen before.

.

"Hello there!" the curly-haired boy said. "Say, do ya know if Misato's here? I'm supposed to drop off some papers, somethin' about a new student…"

Shinji blinked.

"She's at work."

"...Oh, right," the boy chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Makes sense she'd be busy after all that commotion last night! Sounded like some serious operations were going on! Listen, if ya could take these papers, that'd be really useful."

The Third Child nodded, accepting the offered papers from the boy.

"Sure… but, just, well… who _are_ you?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, me? I'm Kensuke," came the reply, alongside an open hand. "Kensuke Aida."

"Shinji, Shinji Ikari," said Shinji, stuffing the papers under one arm to take it. "I'm the new student."

The kid blinked.

"Wait, _Ikari_? Like Commander Ikari?"

Shinji's brow furrowed. Despite his father's attempt to mend bridges last night… he forgiving him in a day won't happen. The boy was less than happy at the mention of him.

"Yes," Shinji replied flatly. "He's my _father_."

.

"... That… is _so cool!"_ Kensuke exclaimed, looking like a kid in a candy store. Evidently, Aida must be completely deaf to social clues. Shinji sighed heavily.

"I mean, it's-it's NERV! You must get to see all the cool tech up close; the MAGI, the geofront, not to mention the _Evas_!"

Kensuke paused, having made a connection.

"...wait a minute. Are _you_ a pilot?"

"...I'm not sure if I'm authorised to tell you. Or how that sort of thing… works," Shinji replied. "But… yes?"

Kensuke's eyes widen.

The curly-haired boy promptly disregarded any concept of personal space, giddily closing to just a few centimeters.

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh this is so _cool!_ I mean I'm _completely_ heartbroken that I wasn't chosen but _still, I'm going to school with two Eva pilots!_ This is _amazing!_ You _have_ to tell me _everything_ , Shinji!"

Shinji leaned back, away from the questionably stable teenager. No snarky remarks came this time.

"Uh…"

"Don't worry, I'm a friend of Rei! You're not gonna get in trouble for talking with little ol' me!" Kensuke smiles.

 _~...come to think of it, this_ would _be something to do…~_ Shinji thinks.

"...Alright, I guess. But _you're_ going to have to answer some questions as well. Come inside… I guess."

* * *

Shinji and Kensuke sat on the couch in the living room, the glasses-wearing boy on the edge of his seat. By comparison, Shinji laid back on the couch, SDAT in his pocket.

"Alrighty, first things first," Kensuke started. "You _gotta_ tell me about Unit-00!"

Shinji swallows, clearing his throat.

"...Okay, like… what?"  
"Give me some specs! Height, build, weaponry, _colour scheme_ , I don't care! Just gimme something to work with!"

"All… alright then."

And so Shinji went to work describing the giant of metal and flesh; its height of nearly forty meters; the varied armour plates of orange, white, and grey; the plates on its helmet that extended into a blast visor; the racks of thrusters on its back; even how the Eva mirrored its pain onto him.

But one thing he _didn't_ talk about was the first synchronization. The presence inside his mind, _looking_ at him, looking _into_ him.

That was too personal to share.

"...but… yeah. That's… that's Unit-00, I guess."

"Hm," Kensuke looked up from the pocket notepad he was writing in. "Interesting. Sounds like your Eva's actually pretty different from Rei's! That's always cool- I mean, Unit-01's neat an' all, but I think it's a _lot_ cooler when it's un-"

"Um, excuse me," Shinji said. "But… who's Rei?"

Kensuke blinked.

* * *

"Wait, _what?!_ You're saying you _don't know_ who _Rei_ is?"

Shinji shrugged.

"Like I said, I've only been here a day. I barely know anyone in Nerv. But, um, my father _did_ mention something about a First Child…"

"Yeah, that's her!" Kensuke chirps back. "Rei Ayanami, the First Child, pilot of Unit-01! I've seen her in action a bit during the Jet Alone incident! That grace and power, that decisiveness, those sleek, silvery, _sexy_ curves…" the boy freezes mid fangasm, realizing just _what_ he's saying. "I-I mean, the-the _Eva's_ curves! Yeah, th-those!"

Shinji leans away, raising an eyebrow.

"Did… did you just say that the _giant robot_ was _sexy?"_

"Wh-I- _no!_ That-that'd-" the boy clears his throat, chuckling awkwardly. "That'd be ridiculous."

"So… you're calling _Rei_ sexy?"

The other boy chokes, sputtering back a reply.

"S-stop backing me into corners, man! I'm the one interrogatin' _you_ , not the other way around!" Kensuke pouts, facing away from Shinji. "'Sides, there's nothing wrong with admiring somebody."


	6. Chapter 006

_~Someone else is here.~_

Her eye opened, glancing to the right. Nothing.

Her head rolled to the left, compensating for the patch covering her left eye.

In the cot next to her, a brown-haired lump softly snored, arms hanging from casts.

Rei Ayanami tilted her head.

 _~The Fifth Child? An interesting development.~_

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 006: Very (Ir)Reisponsible**

Five-ish minutes after waking up, Rei was nearing the end of her first recovery exercise session. After a week, she'd completely memorized the routine, no longer hindered in performing it by her arm or her still-regenerating eye. As such, the First Child was able to dedicate a portion of her mental faculties to contemplation. Yesterday, Doctor Akagi had told her that it should only take six more days for her to be healed enough to rejoin school. However, now that the school was undergoing repairs, Rei had four days with no planned activities other than necessities, perhaps three- _if_ Sunday featured a Synchro Test for her.

 _~Although, that is unlikely,~_ Rei thought to herself. _~Unit-01's recent… malfunction will not make Doctor Akagi_ or _Commander Ikari particularly inclined to reactivate her for quite some time. Perhaps_ that _is why the Fifth is here; to serve as a replacement for me, until Unit-01 becomes safe for piloting.~_

Rei rolled her neck and _stretched_ , each stiffened joint popping and cracking loudly. That was the last of it.

Shrinking back from the stretch, the girl walked back to her cot, and sat down. Automatically, Rei checked the atomic clock; fifteen minutes until lunch would be delivered.

And so, Rei sat. And waited.

* * *

Fifteen minutes passed remarkably quickly. Or at least they did for Rei.

The doorbell chimed, warning anyone inside that someone was going to enter. Rei sat up, and turned towards the door, perfectly calm and expectant. Soon after, the doors slid open, a member of NERV staff wheeling in the lunch cart.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Ayanami," he cheerfully said, picking up one of the trays. "How are we today?"

"...Adequate," Rei answered coolly. "If somewhat curious."

"That's nice. Here you go," replied the staff member, setting the tray down on a stand that arched across Rei's lap. "One meal for the First Child. Enjoy."

The girl gave a quick nod of thanks, before turning to the tray. Investigating the Fifth Child can wait. For now, there's food to deal with.

* * *

Mari stirred, eyelids flickering.

The brunette groaned, sinking down into the bed.

God, _my arms hurt. F***in' Angel,~_ Mari thought, blowing a chunk of hair out of her eyes- and noticing something else. The ceiling was… incredibly blurry. And while her arms were probably immobilized, Mari didn't need them to feel the lack of a familiar weight on the bridge of her nose.

The Briton rolled her eyes.

 _~...and they took my glasses, so I'm half blind. Good job NERV, good job.~_

Mari's ears perked up at the sound of movement to her right.

"Mm? Anybody there?" she asked, worming her way upright, blue eyes glinting with curiosity.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Yes," replied a soft, calm voice- if she had to say, Mari'd guess the owner to be a girl, probably one around her age.

Mari looked over, only to be greeted by shortly cut silver-blue hair- _not_ something one sees on normal people.

"...'n that case, Blue, mind getting my glasses? I can't exactly see without them."

The blur nodded, bending forwards.

A few seconds later, the world finally cleared up, the familiar weight of her glasses on her nose. Mari blinks, watching as the blue-haired girl leans back upright. Other than the unusual hair colour, there's quite a few things that pop out to her. The girl's smaller than Mari, her build slim and sleek, her skin pale where Mari can spot it- almost unnaturally so. The plain white cast on the girl's arm and the grey patch over her left eye clearly point out just _why_ this girl's in the hospital- though they _certainly_ don't detract from her-

"You are staring."

Mari blinks, snapping out of her in-depth examination of the girl.

"..Heh, sorry," the brunette chuckles. "Got a bit distracted. It's just that you're _quite_ the eye-catcher, you know?"

"Mari Makinami-Illustrious, Fifth Child. Pilot of Unit-05," Mari states, introducing herself. "I'd shake your hand, but it looks like neither of us'd be able to accomplish much of that."

The other girl nods.

"I am Rei Ayanami, the First Child. I piloted Unit-01."

Mari grins, sitting fully upright.

"Well, nice to meet you, Rei."

* * *

A day had passed, and the sun was beginning to peak.

Mari was _bored_.

Due to her arms being basically immobilized, there wasn't anything physical the girl could do, and talking by herself had lost its appeal after a while.

"Say… Rei," Mari started.

Rei turned her head.

"What is it, Pilot Illustrious?"

"... I was thinking… how about we swap stories?"

Rei blinked.

"Stories?"

"Yeah, stories!" Mari nodded, grinning. "I'm pretty bored, and I bet you're also kinda bored."

The blue-haired girl paused…

… and nodded.

"I… suppose that I _would_ enjoy stimulation…"

"Right then, it's settled!" Mari replied. "Now, all we've gotta do is figure who goes first!"

"... I would prefer to listen. You may begin, Fifth Child."

Mari shrugged.

"Eh, fine with me. Now… hm. How does the story of my fight with the Third Angel sound?"

"That would be… adequate," replied Rei.

"Alrighty then," Mari grinned. "Here goes."

"It was a cold and snowy morning in January. The Third Angel- Hofniel, we called it- had just been discovered, asleep in the Arctic ice. They'd just gotten it to the nearest NERV branch in order to study the thing, when… well, let's say it wasn't as asleep as had been expected."

* * *

 _The dragon ripped apart its steel cage, blue blood dripping from between the plates of frost-bitten chitin._

 _More armour stood between it and its goal. This was not acceptable._

 _A pair of apple-green eyes sparked, and the armour vapourized._

 _Hofniel, Fighter of God, Angel of The Sons of God, was_ f***ing pissed off.

* * *

"As you can guess, nothing really slowed it down. The Cocytus Anti-Angel Containment system wasn't fully completed, and the Russians' tanks couldn't pierce the Angel's AT Field. Unless something crazy happened, we were pretty much screwed."

"Luckily for everyone, I happen to have an Eva."

* * *

" _EAT THIS!"_

 _At the last second, Hofniel whipped to the side, two hundred meters of bone and chitin sliding aside from the main shaft. Unit-05 barreled past, momentum betraying it._

" _God f***ing dammit!" Mari cursed, yanking on the controls. Unit-05's wheels shifted, the Eva spinning a hundred-eighty degrees in an instant._

" _Shock anchors,_ FIRE!"

 _The Eva's pylons snapped open, exposing racks of metal spikes. With a roar, the spikes shot out, trailing heavy metal cables behind them!_

 _The cables wrapped around Hofniel's hind legs, the Angel letting out a squawk of surprise as its own momentum cancelled out the runaway Eva's, bringing them both to a halt!_

" _DISCHARGE!"_

 _Moments later, the entirety of Bethany Base's pantograph wire grid was shot down through Unit-05's pylons and cables. Hofniel's hind legs cooked and burst at the joints, blue ichor spraying across the concrete walls._

* * *

"- _Unfortunately_ , I cooked the entire power grid with that attack, leaving me with only six and a half minutes of battery power."

"...I am beginning to doubt your tactical intelligence."

"You and half the other Children in the world."

* * *

 _The lance tore Hofniel's body- ribs, exoskeleton, and AT Field all shredding before the weapon ripped out the other side._

 _Unit-05's fist swung around, landing a ringing blow into the side of the Angel's head._

 _Hofniel snarled, and struck back, driving its claws into Unit-05's breastplate. Snarling, the serpentine monster ripped the armour plate in two, the Eva screaming in pain._

" _No! Don't you f***ing quit on me!" Mari snapped, yanking on the grips, despite her burning ribs._

" _I don't give up, you don't give in! That's how this works!"_

 _Hofniel's eyes flashed, vapourizing Unit-05's left shoulder, and punching a hole through the outer wall. The tail swung around, knocking Unit-05 off her feet._

 _The Eva crashed to the ground, Hofniel planting a taloned hand on the bio-robot's chest._

" _Fight!"_

 _The Angel's eyes flickered, the beams beginning to charge up._

" _FIGHT BACK!"_

 _Unit-05 shook, power bleeding from the sparking wounds._

"FIGHT B-"

 _Hofniel fired._

 _Right into Unit-05's face._

* * *

That elicited an emotional response. Rei actually _winces_ \- granted, it's more like a muscle twitch, but it's the most Mari's gotten out of the girl.

"Yeah… it wasn't fun."

* * *

 _Unit-05 screamed, jaw no longer held tight. The upper half of her helmet had melted, the molten metal sizzling into the raw, scarred flesh of the Eva._

 _In the plug, Mari could barely focus. Everything_ hurt _\- her chest, her arms, her head…_

 _This damn Angel… just…_

 _Why._

 _Wouldn't._

 _It._

Just.

Fucking.

 **DIE.**

* * *

 _Unit-05's eyes ignited._

* * *

" _Impossible! Unit-05's artificial synapses are locking!"_

" _Neural interface offline! We can't read the plug interior!"_

" _The Eva's acting on its own! Sir, Unit-05's been confirmed!"_

" _It's gone berserk!"_

* * *

 _Roaring, the burnt and bloodied Eva lunged, slamming Hofniel into the concrete ceiling. The Angel screeched, voice spiking in octaves as soon as the berserker locked her jaws around its throat!_

 _Metal teeth crushed the Angel's windpipe and armour in a spray of ichor, the Eva's eyes still glowing like spotlights._

 _With a mighty heave, Hofniel was thrown into the snow, throwing up a spray of powder._

 _Unit-05's jaw unhinged, the battered Eva stomping out after it._

 _Hofniel hissed, eyes flashing again. Unit-05 just raised a hand. The beam splintered against a purple octagon._

 _Unit-05 bared her teeth, and lunged._

* * *

"-the end." Mari finished.

"Well? Thoughts?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Rei.

"... On the event, or your rendition of it?"

Mari blinked.

"... Both, I guess."

Rei took a breath.

"On the event; I… am intrigued. Unit-05's berserker incident… is interesting. I had thought Unit-01 to be the only berserker of the Units. Apparently, I was wrong."

" _However_ , I do think that you embellished your story too much."

"Hey, I was half-conscious at the time!" Mari playfully complained. "Cut me some slack!"


	7. Chapter 007

"You want me to do _what?!"_ Shinji screeched.

Mari grinned wider.

"You heard me. Pants. Off. _Now_."

The sixteen-year-old flushed furiously.

"I-I-I-" he sputtered, stumbling back a step.

In all honesty, Shinji barely knew _what_ was going on. While on his way to some sort of training session, Mari had jumped him, and dragged the boy into the nearby locker room. Next thing he knew, the brunette was demanding that he… well, _disrobe_. And with the combination of hormones, Mari's… figure, and Shinji's _annoyingly_ spotty timidness, he was having a hellish time managing a reply.

"-I- T-that's not decent!" the boy finally stammered out, voice ending in a squeak.

Mari's lips pulled back…

-and the girl burst out laughing.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 007: You're (Not) Very Funny**

"..."

Shinji stood frozen stiff, watching the Fifth Child double over in laughter. After about half a minute, the girl slowed, glancing up with a Cheshire grin on my face.

"...Oh, my god! Third, I swear, your _face_ was j-just… f-f-goddamn _priceless!"_

The boy blinked in confusion, face awkwardly frozen. Mari caught a glimpse, and held a hand over her mouth, muffling her mirth.

"Oh, oh Third… I- did-did you _really_ think that I was _actually_ trying to put the moves on you? Pfffft! Ahaha… oh, oh that's just _rich_." The girl backed up, letting Shinji have some room, and casually leaned against one of the lockers.

"But nah, I'm- I'm not trying to get a piece of you, Ikari. I've got enough on my plate to deal with already. Don't worry," Mari chuckled, waving it off.

Shinji visibly relaxed, shoulders slouching down with relief.

"W-well, at least that's a-"

"But in all seriousness, I really _do_ need you to strip down, Third."

Shinji paled, choking off mid-sentence.

" _It's for a reason, Third."_

* * *

"Gah- how do you manage-"

"Other leg, Ikari," Mari calmly added.

" _M-Makinami!_ Y-you said you weren't looking!"

* * *

Five minutes (and several teasing observations from Mari) later, Shinji finally left the locker room. Still shaken up from the ordeal, the boy was clad in a white outfit that looked like it had been painted on.

This... 'plugsuit', or whatever it was, was almost completely skintight, vacuum-compressed to perfectly fit his skinny frame. Apparently, it was supposed to help him pilot the Eva, though Mari hadn't explained how. The form-hugging suit also had the effect of making Shinji feel very, _very_ uncomfortable as he shambled down the hallway.

Fortunately, Shinji's thoughts provided a decent- if not completely adequate- method of distraction.

Ten days.

That's how long it had been since the Angel.

Ten days since Shinji and Mari had fought the monster. Ten days since its fiery death. Ten days since he'd last piloted the Eva.

Shinji heaved a sigh.

And there were supposed to be _more_ of these things.

 _~That's obviously why they're having me train,~_ he thought, continuing down the hall.

"Wonder what it's going to be now," Shinji muttered to himself. "Who knows. I mean, the Evas use knives… maybe they'll make me learn how to use a giant gun?" the boy decided to grant himself a little smile. "Heh. That'd be-"

* * *

"-absolutely ridiculous," Shinji muttered, feeling the weight from twenty-odd meters of _massive fricking Gatling gun_ pulling down on Unit-00's arms. The orange-and-grey Eva stood in the Geofront, boxes of sensors and simulation equipment affixed to both the mecha and its comically oversized weapon.

"Mis- er, Captain? Why… why am I training with a Gatling gun?" the boy asked, looking over at the hologram of Misato floating next to his head.

" _Simple; Nerv needs you to be able to operate any weapon in our evangelion arsenal- the GAU-34 just happens to be the most difficult to use."_

"And I've got the toughest one to use because…"

" _If we start you off with the most difficult, all the others will be a lot easier to compensate for, and you won't need as much training with them! Now give it a try; and don't worry, it's loaded with blanks."_

Shinji frowned at Misato's reasoning, but said nothing. Instead, Unit-00 shifted, lifting the weapon, and angling it to parallel the ground. The boy took a deep breath…

...and pulled the trigger.

Ten seconds later, Unit-00 was on its back, shoved over by the weapon's massive recoil.

Shinji groaned, raising a hand to his head. Even with as low a synch as 32.5%- apparently the plugsuit _did_ make a difference- he could still feel the shuddering and aches of Unit-00 imprinting on his nerves.

"Guess I'm going to have to keep doing this," Shinji muttered, pushing on the control grips.

Grumbling, the orange Eva pushed itself upright, spinal rockets pulsing to provide extra lift. Regaining its balance, the cyclops' chest heaved, eye scanning for the fallen Gatling.

Shinji reached down, and lifted the absurd weapon once more.

" _Alright, Shinji. Let's take it from the top. But_ this _time, use a wider stance."_

Shinji sighed, and nodded.

* * *

\- The next day, outside Classroom 3-A.

" _Rise. Bow. Be seated."_

The sound of twenty students standing up and sitting down was audible outside the door to the trio. Shinji waited, nervously awaiting the announcement. Mari leaned up next to the door, lazily humming to herself. Rei just stood.

" _Alright, students,"_ came an elderly voice. _"Before we get started today, we have some new students joining us from out of the city, who will introduce themselves to you."_

" _You may come in now."_

Shinji swallowed, and Mari grinned. This was it.

"L-ladies first?" offered the boy.

"Eh, sure," shrugged Mari, taking the door handle.

"I'm Mari. Mari Makinami-Illustrious. I only recently got over here from Britain, but I hope we get along well!"

"A-and I'm Shinji Ikari. It's nice to meet you all." The boy said, looking out at the class. From the front of the room, he could see Kensuke's telltale grin, along with a myriad of other faces he hadn't yet met.

Not all of which seemed happy to see him, he noted.

"Thank you. You may sit." said the teacher. Grateful to be out of the spotlight, Shinji walked down between the desks, finding an easy seat next to Kensuke, while Mari took one of the window seats, lazily glancing back to the front.

"And now for one final announcement. Ms. Ayanami has returned from the Nerv hospital, and will be returning to us for class at last. Miss Ayanami?"

Rei entered silently from the door, waited a few seconds, then headed over to her own seat by the window.

The teacher cleared his throat.

"Now, class, let's begin with the lesson. Please open your devices, and we'll start off with a review from last time."

"More than seventeen years ago, a massive explosion occurred in Antarctica…"

* * *

The rest of the school day was mostly uneventful. History, math… the classes passed fairly quickly for Shinji. During lunch, Shinji and Rei had mostly sat by themselves and ate, while Mari attempted to strike up a conversation with some of the other students.

While it wasn't the most exciting, the day hadn't been _bad_ , Shinji reflected on his way back to Misato's apartment.

As the elevator doors opened onto the top floor, Shinji was greeted by the sight of the walkway cluttered with several bags and suitcases.

"...Uh…"

"Oh, Shinji!" Mari popped out from behind the pile, giving a quick wave.

"Sorry about the mess, Third! Just have ta' get this stuff into my new flat, then I'll be out of your hair! _Uvidimsya, Shinji!_ "

The boy just nodded slowly, and inched his way around the pile. Encouraging Mari probably wasn't the best idea, given the… oddness, she'd shown the last few days. _Especially_ after the… plugsuit incident.

Shinji suppressed a shudder, and moved on. What Mari did with her free time wasn't something he needed to concern himself with.

* * *

"...aaand chat invite sent!"

Mari bit down on a cracker, chewing noisily. So what if she was lying on the floor at an hour when she should probably be asleep? It was _her_ flat; she could do what she wanted to! Besides, it wasn't like Misato was going to bust down the wall from the flat over and yell at her or anything.

Not to mention Mari had more important things to take care of.

ihr3_hoheit has joined the chat.

ZaBeasto: Oh your highness, it's meee~

ihr3_hoheit: Four Eyes?

Mari smirks.

It's been a month since they'd talked face-to-face; too long for the Fifth's tastes. But text will have to suffice. For now.

ZaBeasto: No, the _other_ stunning brunette you know who pilots Unit-05.

ihr3_hoheit: Ha ha, very funny Mari.

ihr3_hoheit: Good to know your sense of humor wasn't lost when your arms got burnt off.

ZaBeasto: Oh, your concern is _so_ touching, your highness.

ZaBeasto: Now tell me; how's my favourite little _krasnaya koroleva_ going? Hope it's not too cold, being so far from me~

ihr3_hoheit: Stop speaking Russian, Mari.

Of course, the girl can't help but tease her dear friend.

ZaBeasto: _Nyet. Vy ne mozhete sdelat' menya._

ihr3_hoheit: _Mari._

Even through text on a screen, her partner's warning carries across. Mari giggles, typing out a reply as she fishes through the cracker box.

ZaBeasto: Fine, _fine_.

The girl's eye glints with mischief. The keys click again.

ZaBeasto: _Ya ostanovit'_.

ihr3_hoheit: You can't tell it, but I'm sighing with exasperation.

ihr3_hoheit: At you.

ihr3_hoheit: Because you're really not as funny as you think you are.

Mari's response is- well, it's neither short nor quick, but it's to the point. Sort of.

ZaBeasto: Humor's in the eye of the beholder, Princess. And _I_ plan on having my eyes on you _very_ soon.

ihr3_hoheit: Good _night_ , Mari.

ZaBeasto: 'Night, my Princess!

ihr3_hoheit has left the chat

Mari smiles, and closes the computer. The Brit's eyes flit over to the digital clock, checking the time.

 _~Eh, I've still got a few hours before I_ really _need to sleep.~_

The girl lay back, hands interlaced behind her head.

"And it's not like an Angel's gonna show up tomorrow or anything, right?"


	8. Chapter 008

Something churned under the surface of the ocean, shedding red that stained the seas.

A hundred legs thrashed, again and again, pushing the thick body forwards with each stroke, while the bladed front cut through the water like a sword.

In its path, the ocean darkened, turning the colour of blood. An iron stench hung in the air, drowning out the natural putrescence and salt. The corpses of fish floated to the surface, their bodies choked and stained with red.

Shamshel continued onwards.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 008: You Are (Not) Ready**

"Hm hm hmmm…"

Shinji hummed to himself as he worked on breakfast. Grabbing a pre-measured cup of flour he'd set on the counter, the boy poured it into the mix, making sure to get an even spread.

Off in another room, Shinji heard something groan.

"Breakfast will be ready in half an hour, Misato!" he called, keeping his focus on the half-made meal before him. Zombie-like, the boy's guardian poked her head around the corner, looking disheveled and half-asleep.

"...tea's already brewing," Shinji added, catching a glimpse of her.

* * *

Breakfast was a fairly simple affair, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Misato did most of the talking, while Shinji was content to listen, occasionally replying to a question. Other than that, the duo mostly just ate.

Until Misato's phone rang.

The woman blinked, bringing the device up to her head.

"This is Captain Katsuragi, how can I help you?"

Misato's eyes widened. Shinji looked up from his meal, worried.

"You're sure?" Misato asked, all semblance of humour gone from her voice. "The Fifth Angel's here?"

* * *

Missiles swooped down, slamming into their target again and again. Cannons roared, hundreds of heavy, armour-piercing shells thrown across kilometers in an instant.

Onboard a nearby ship, moored at an artificial river, a weapon rotated on its turret. Electricity crackled along its barrel, building up a tremendous charge!

" _Rail-Cannon fully charged! Fire!"_

All other sounds were drowned out as the weapon discharged. Half a second later, the target crashed into the side of the hill, thrown from the sky by the hypersonic slug.

As the crew celebrated their hit, the being rose, red-purple dripping down its side.

The cannon didn't get a chance to fire another shot.

* * *

"Dammit!" Misato cursed, striding down the hallway.

"Mis- er, Captain?" Shinji asked, dressed in his white plugsuit.

"Sorry Shinji, just…" Misato flared her nostrils in irritation. "...things aren't going well. The only weapon that's actually _hurt_ the damn thing- some experimental railgun- just got vapourized; and nothing else is even _scratching_ it. And _now_ I learn that you're the only Eva we can actually _use!"_

Shinji started. "W-wait, what?"

 _~This just isn't fair,~_ he thought to himself.

"Afraid so. Unit-01 hasn't been reactivated, and there's no way Unit-05's getting out of repairs fast enough to sortie," Misato replied, before her voice dropped to a mutter. "Not to mention Unit-05's pilot decided that she _didn't need sleep_ , and she could _barely stay awake_ when I found her."

"So I'm just going out by myself?" the boy asked.

"Not quite. You'll have the entire Tokyo-3 Intercept System at your back." The duo reached a fork in the corridor, one end travelling to the Eva Cages, the other heading up to Central Dogma. Misato turned to Shinji.

"Alright. This is where we split." The woman reached out, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck, Shinji."

* * *

The boy took a deep breath, letting the LCL fill his lungs.

 _~Okay, second Angel fight. I-I can do this. I can do this.~_ Shinji thought to himself, trying to keep it in check. This was just like last time- except now he'd been trained. Now he could take the monster on, even if he was all by himself.

" _Alright, Shinji, just take it slow. We have no idea what this Angel is capable of,"_ Misato said.

Make that _almost_ all by himself.

"R-roger."

" _Okay, good. Get ready, Shinji."_

Shinji swallowed, and nodded, anxiously waiting for the electromagnetic catapult to fire.

"R-ready, Misato."

" _Now! Evangelion Unit-00, launch!"_

In an instant, the rails discharged, shooting the Eva up to the surface with incredible speed! Shinji grunted, forced into his seat by the acceleration! Metal screamed against metal, beginning to brake the bio-robot's ascent to a manageable speed.

Within a few seconds, Unit-00 came to a halt among the architecture of Tokyo-3, its body shivering in the catapult's restraints. The locks opened, and the Eva slumped forwards, adopting its typical hunched posture. Shinji looked around, making sure he wasn't immediately in danger. Nothing immediately jumped out. Cautiously, the Eva took a step forward… then another, and another...

" _Shinji, the GAU-34 is to your right. Take it,"_ Misato said, her tone of voice making clear that this was an order. The side of a nearby building slid open, revealing the oversized Gatling gun, mounted on its own set of rails.

Shinji nodded, Unit-00's head mirroring the confirmation.

"Y-yes ma'am."

The orange Evangelion reached out, grabbing the massive weapon with both hands. It was just as heavy as before, but a bit less unwieldy- due to the lack of the test equipment. Unit-00 adjusted its stance accordingly, carrying the Gatling close to its body in readiness.

Shinji pushed the control grips forwards, urging Unit-00 around the next building...

And there it was, at the edge of the city. The Fifth Angel; or- as it had been codenamed- 'Shamshel'. It might not be in his face like the last one- 'Sachiel'- had been, but Shinji couldn't help but feel his heart sink into his stomach at the sight of it. Because while Sachiel had been terrifying, it was at least _humanoid_. Shamshel was no such thing.

The monster hovered above the ground, supported by nothing at all, wreathed in a dim, red mist. Its body was elongate, vaguely looking like a cross between a worm and a lobster, including a thick, candy purple carapace. A plethora of insectile legs dangled below its torso, writhing at the air, while two great limbs rested together under its 'neck'.

Shamshel's head looked like the head of a shovel, or possibly a spear, coming to a sharp point at its tip. Massive spots that crudely resembled eyes looked to be painted on the head, though the Angel showed no other means of sense.

Even without true eyes, Shamshel seemed to spot Shinji. The Angel paused, and began to tilt back, changing before the boy's eyes. Its legs retracted, folding up into a ribcage; its arms split apart, reaching out to its sides; its head swung down, forming a hood directly above a frosty red 'core'. Thus altered, the Angel began to advance, a pinprick of light forming in the centre of the core, focusing on Unit-00.

This was it.

* * *

" _Shinji! Fire!"_ Misato's shout came, snapping the boy back into action.

Unit-00 stepped back, raising the GAU-34 parallel to the ground.

 _~Centre the target, pull the trigger, fire in bursts. Centre the target, pull the trigger, fire in bursts. Centre the target, pull the trigger, fire in bursts,~_ the boy repeated in his mind.

Shinji pulled the trigger.

The Gatling gun roared, firing second-long blasts of armour-piercing slugs into the Angel! Smoke and fire billowed from the ends of the weapon, shells spraying from the ammunition port and crashing to the ground. The Angel was almost completely enveloped, barely visible to Shinji.

" _Shinji! Stop!"_

The roar stopped, the GAU's barrels slowing their revolutions. As the haze began to clear, Shinji swore he could hear something…

 _Zzzmmm!_

Something in the haze _ignited_. The boy didn't need any orders this time around to make a decision. Unit-00 lowered the gun, backing away as fast as it could without tripping over the cable on its back.

A glowing pink blur lashed out from the half-obscured Angel, cutting a burning slash through several buildings, before falling a block short of the Eva.

Shamshel floated forwards, a crackling whip of plasma extended from the tip of one arm. The Angel was almost completely unscathed, the only damage on it a reddish stain along a crack near its waist- where it had been struck by the short-lived rail-cannon.

"Oh no," Shinji muttered, watching the monster advance.

Shinji could swear the Angel's core _winked_ at him, before it swung its other arm around! Another whip came shooting out, aiming to catch the bothersome Eva!

Frantically, Shinji dropped the gun, and threw himself to the side! As the whip cut into the weapon, the orange Eva smashed through an abandoned building, crashing to the ground in a shower of debris.

"...Ugh," the boy brought a hand to his aching head, dazed by the impact the Plug had taken. He could make out a shape… something tall and purple and- _oh dear_.

 _~Do something!~_ The boy thought frantically- he didn't care _what_ happened, just so long as he didn't die!

Shamshel drew back its right arm, whip blazing pink-

 _Brakkakkakkakka!_

From the sides of the Eva's head shot a panicked barrage of lead! Unit-00's chain-guns were next to worthless for actually _hurting_ the Angel, but they did a fine job at irritating it!

Distracted, Shamshel's whip cut through several chunks of debris before contacting, saving Unit-00 from the worst of the damage- though the Angel's attack still threw the Eva bodily down the street!

" _Shinji!"_

The boy groaned, pushing his Eva upright.

"I… I'm f-fine, Misato. I-I can keep… I can keep going…" he panted, watching the Angel turn towards him. The monster was several blocks away- if he could _just_ stay out of range of those whips, he might stand a chance.

" _...Shinji, if you_ really _think so…"_ Misato replied. _"We'll keep going. Stand by for incoming fire support- we'll send you another weapon!"_

From the tops and sides of buildings extended a myriad of cannons and missiles, which swiftly trained themselves on the Angel, and fired!

Shamshel's attention fell away from the Eva, the Angel hissing as it swiped at the nearest weapon emplacements! Buildings fell, torn apart by its whips, the other emplacements unloading their ammunition into the monster!

To Shinji's side, a building unfolded again, revealing a tubular weapon with a boxy magazine on top; the EM75 Hand Bazooka. Without hesitation, Shinji grabbed it, tucking the magazine into Unit-00's armpit, and taking aim.

"AAAAAAAA!" Shinji yelled, pulling the trigger again and again! Four rockets erupted from the rifle's end in rapid succession, slamming into Shamshel's back, knocking the Angel to the ground!

As the Intercept System died down, Shinji waited, breathing heavily as he waited for the smoke to clear.

A shape rose up from the debris, a fiery glow coming from the core. As the scene cleared, the Angel hissed, reigniting its whips as it floated upright. The air shimmered around it, distorting its image slightly, but it was still clear.

The Angel was still unharmed.

"G-guys?" the boy asked shakily. "P-please tell me that this t-thing isn't invincible."

* * *

"Just hang on Shinji," replied Misato into the microphone. "We're working on a solution as you speak."

"Ibuki, what do we have?" the captain asked, standing upright.

"Its AT Field's strong- very strong!" reported the young woman. "It's in some sort of… ablative layering or something!"

"That's how it's taking all our firepower! The composite's stronger than the Fourth's!" added a bespectacled man from his own station.

"Wait," Misato said. "You're saying our Eva-scale weaponry can't get past it?!"

"Right! The field needs to be eroded by something just as strong before we can even scratch it with our guns!"

"Pity we lost that railgun," the third bridge worker added.

"Damn," muttered Misato, before grabbing the microphone again.

"Alright, Shinji! You're going to have to erode the Angel's AT Field!"

" _H-how do I do that?!"_

"Just… I don't know! _Think_ about eroding it!" she replied. "It's a barrier; break it down!"

* * *

" _It's a barrier; break it down!"_

Shinji took a breath, and nodded.

"I'll try."

 _~Break it down, break it down, break it down…~_ he thought furiously, trying to picture the barrier worn away by something like sandpaper.

The shimmering around the Angel began to die down, even as Shamshel closed in, readying its whips again.

" _Shinji, you're doing it!"_ Misato exclaimed. _"Now open fire!"_

The boy grunted an affirmative, and raised the Hand Bazooka again.

"T-tank _this!"_

The rifle barked, firing a single rocket at the Angel! Shamshel didn't move to stop it, confident in its AT Fi-

The rocket slammed into Shamshel's 'ribcage', exploding in a fireball! The Angel shrieked, blackened and burnt legs falling from the cavity as it staggered back. The monster hissed, lashing its whips against the ground as it-

Shinji screamed, emptying the rest of the magazine's rockets into the Angel! Shamshel's whips slashed, cutting apart several rockets as it advanced, despite the impacts and explosions that shook its frame! Head cracked almost in two, the insectile monster shrieked, and launched its own attack!

The first whip sliced through the rocket launcher like butter, throwing Unit-00 off balance! Then the second whip cut around, tossing Unit-00 to the side- and severing the Eva's cable!

* * *

On the wall of Terminal Dogma, a timer popped up, beginning to count down from ten minutes!

Misato stared, putting the microphone down.

"...well, f***."

* * *

A light pulsed on the wall. Blearily, Shinji shook his head, trying to focus. He'd been winning… and then the Angel had…

Shinji's eyes snapped open, focusing on the timer that counted down mercilessly on the wall.

"...oh dear."

" _Shinji?! Shinji, can you hear me?!"_

"I- y-yes, Misato!"

" _Shinji, you've got less than ten minutes before Unit-00 shuts down!"_ Misato said. _"Make them count!"_

"R-right!" For the second time, Shinji pushed himself upright. Unit-00 creaked, orange blood leaking from a half-melted cut down its front, but it followed.

 _~K-knife. I need the knife.~_

Unit-00's shoulder pylon opened, the handle folding out of its depths. The Eva reached over, pulling the weapon from its sheath. As soon as it was comfortably in the Eva's hand, the segmented blade of the Progressive Knife extended, edge beginning to glow.

"B-blast visor, down."

The plates on Unit-00's cheeks slid forwards, clamping together over most of the Eva's face.

"Rocket engines, ig-ignite."

Along the Eva's back and elbows, the engines spark, readying to fire.

"Let's… let's do this." Shinji's grip steadies. If he can just pull off what he did last time… but nothing's holding Shamshel in place, and if those whips get a solid hit on him…

"Now!"

Unit-00 charges, dorsal rockets flaring! The knife swings back, before the orange bio-mech drives it-

-into thin air?

Shamshel's whip cuts into Unit-00's back, melting through the armour plating! The Eva stumbles, barely managing to regain balance-

The Angel lashes out again, throwing the Eva onto its backside. The Progressive Knife twists, and the blade snaps.

Unit-00's other pylon folds open, the Eva-

Shamshel's whip slices clean through the metal, burying itself in the Eva's throat! Shinji screams, releasing the control grips! Unit-00 thrashes, orange blood spraying from the melting wound!

A hand clamps around the plasma-sheathed whip, squeezing tight, despite how the whip burns at it. Shamshel hisses in surprise, before the arm _yanks_ , pulling it up close to the half-dead mecha.

Shinji's teeth grit together, barely keeping back his pain as he stared the Angel dead in the core.

"I… I've had just about _enough_ of y-you…" the boy growled, clenching his right hand into a fist.

The Eva's arm swings back, the arm pylons unfolding as the ignited rocket thrusters extend! As the engines build to a roar, Shinji screams!

"Take _this!"_

His fist, strength boosted by the rockets, drives into Shamshel's core! What little AT Field the Angel's recovered shatters from the blow, the red surface of the core cracking and buckling!

Shamshel screams, and tries to lash out with its other whip! Unit-00's hand latches on, holding the Angel at bay!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" With as much force as he can muster from the Eva, Shinji rams Unit-00's skull straight into the core!

 _Crack._

The wedge-shaped visor digs deep, the entire gem-like structure splitting down the middle, almost in half. The light is almost instantly snuffed out, Shamshel's body freezing up.

A second later, the Angel crashes to the ground, whips already auto-extinguishing as it slumps over on Unit-00.

* * *

The one unfortunate thing about headbutting an Angel core is the splitting headache one gets from it. And it's the straw that breaks the camel's back for Shinji. Worn down by aches, pains, and imaginary blood loss, the boy simply can't take anymore.

With a sigh, Shinji Ikari slips into unconsciousness.


	9. Chapter 009

_A presence._

 _Blue… something blue was there…_

" _Hello?" Shinji called to the darkness._

" _Hello…" came the whispered reply, faint and directionless. The boy strained, struggling to make out the speaker among the vague darkness. Nothing can be seen, but something certainly sees_ him _. Shinji shivered, walking forwards slowly. The white outfit didn't keep out the cold, and it made the boy feel like a sitting duck._

" _What… what is it?" He asked. "Who are you?"_

 _Something moved, off to the side. The boy's eyes flicked over, pupils dilating. Darkness fell away, sliding and dripping off the figure's body. Its skin was grey, and its hair was dull. A red and blistered hand rose up, and brushed aside the shaggy curtain. Two eyes stared out, one milky and scarred, one clear and sharp. Their lips drew back, teeth narrow and numerous._

" _Someone who needs to talk."_

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 009: You Are (Not) Okay**

Shinji's eyelids flickered, slowly sliding open. The boy blinked at the light, wanting to clear away the dazzling glow.

With effort, the boy was able to get past the worst of the glare and the pressure in his skull, and focus. His surroundings resolved themselves into recognizable shapes; walls, a door, a bed, and two colourful figures sitting on a bench opposite him.

"Pilot Ikari is awake," the blue-haired one stated, nudging the other with her elbow. The two stood, and began walking over. Shinji shook his head, finally getting his vision to clear properly.

Rei and Mari stopped at the foot of the bed, the former watching him with curiosity, the latter with a smirk on her face.

"So, how's Mr. 'I-just-killed-two-Angels' feeling?" she asked.

A hand scratched at his head absentmindedly "Er… what?"

"You successfully terminated the fifth Angel in melee combat yesterday," Rei replied. "Subsequently, you were hospitalized, due to a concussion you sustained from an… unorthodox tactic."

Shinji blinked.

"I… headbutted the Angel?"

"Hell yeah you did!" Mari grinned, landing a playful punch on his shoulders. "Purple sod never even saw it coming!"

The boy winced, the combination of noise and blow bringing the headache back up.

"Ah- S-sorry, it's just… my head…" he said, massaging his forehead.

"It's fine, no harm done," Mari waved it off, taking a step back

"If you require further rest, we can leave, so that you aren't distracted," Rei chimed in.

The invitation is a godsend for Shinji. Time by himself to reflect on what's gone on and recover is something he'd gladly agree to. The boy nods, shoulders slouching in relief at the exit Rei's provided.

"Very well then," the pale girl replies. "Pilot Makinami, let's go."

"All right, all right," the brunette answers, following Rei to the door. As the two of them exit the room, Mari pauses, and turns to shoot Shinji a finger gun. With that, the two are gone, leaving the boy to his own thoughts.

Shinji sinks back down into the pillow, and sighs.

"Now, just what _was_ that?.."

* * *

The Angel's body hung, locked into a cage of steel, suspended above the ground to offer up a full view of it to the people below. The core of the monster was partially removed, held in place by multiple hydraulic braces. A jagged crevice ran down it, cracks running out from the edges, marring the otherwise perfect surface with fractures and scratches.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about the thing waking up and going rampant," Misato deadpanned, looking up at the dull corpse. Ritsuko and several other scientists looked over from mobile stations, and raised eyebrows at the woman.

"What? It was perfectly valid for the Third Angel!" The Captain replied.

"...Captain," one of the scientists began. "We _are_ in the middle of quite a lot of work, and we'd appreciate it-"

"Nakamura, don't worry yourself about it, "Ritsuko said. "If Captain Katsuragi wants an overview, I can give it to her. Just focus on your work."

The scientist shrugged acceptingly, and turned back to his station. Meanwhile, Ritsuko headed over to her friend and colleague.

"I suppose you want to know what we've found, Misato?"

"Is there any other reason why I'd be here? "

"I can think of a few," answered the doctor. Misato sighed.

"I'd _meant_ work-related reasons, Ritz. Now, I'm sure you've found something weird. Could I get the report now?"

The other woman nodded, and motioned for them to move over to a different area, closer to Shamshel's battered core.

"As with the last Angel we've had access to, there are some distinct similarities. Its body is made of the same type of matter that Evangelions are made of- somewhere between a particle and a wave. Of course, you're already aware of the near-perfect genetic match the Angels have to the Evas- this simply reinforces that."

"Unfortunately, some of the findings aren't quite as benign."

Misato blinked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Ritsuko answered. "It appears that Shamshel's… equivalent to blood, has a high concentration of what's essentially liquid Core. The fluid binds to conventional biology, and breaks down the cells' Ego Barriers. Inorganic materials are unaffected, as are organisms protected by an Eva's AT Field, but…" the woman sighed. "Well, let's just say that cleaning this mess up is going to be long and tedious at the least. Shinji's kill wasn't exactly clean."

The two stood, watching the dead behemoth in silence.

A magenta droplet fell from a wound, hissing as it struck the concrete.

* * *

Shinji stared at the ceiling.

Eventually, his headache had died down, and he now felt _considerably_ better than before. That experience… well, it still eluded him. He could barely remember it- someone or some _thing_ had demanded to speak with him, angry about… something. He didn't know what.

All he _really_ remembered of their appearance was their eyes; one ragged and dead, the other cold and living.

But still, it couldn't have been a dream… could it?

 _~It's been three weeks since I came here, and I'm already going insane,~_ Shinji sighed. _~Lucky me.~_

The boy looked around. Nothing really to do…

 _~I wonder how long it'll take before I'm allowed to leave,~_ he wondered.

* * *

Two hours.

Given that he'd been asleep for a bit more than a day in order to heal his concussion, Shinji… well, he frankly didn't know if that sort of time was too long or too short. Whatever the case, the Third Child was done with his stay in the hospital.

Now all he had to do was get back to the apartment.

There were only a few problems with that.

Such as the fact that Misato wasn't here to drive him.

And he had no idea which way to go to walk back to the apartment.

The boy sat on the hospital bench, waiting. Nothing. Nobody came through the door, his phone didn't ring, nothing.

"Where _is_ she?"

* * *

Pen-Pen opened the door to his room, and slid out. The miniature freezer provided a pleasant escape from the warm summers of Japan, but it was mostly just a place to sleep. All the food was kept by his roommate in the big fridge, beyond the penguin's reach.

Said owner was currently sitting at the dining room table, drinking her _third_ can of beer. Oh well, maybe that boy would-

-huh. That was odd. Where could he be?

Pen-Pen waddled over towards his plastered pal, tilting his head in inquiry.

"Wark?"

"Huh?… who?"

Pen-Pen narrowed his eyes.

"Wark."

Misato paused, mid-sip.

"...Wait, r-run me by that again. I'm mighta had a _biiiit_ too much to drink."

" _Wark."_

The woman's eyes widened as she processed what the penguin was saying.

"...Shit. I forgot about Shinji, didn't I?"

"Wark." deadpanned the bird.

A second later, the can slammed into the tabletop with a crack.

" _Goddammit!"_

* * *

The door swings open. Shinji looks up, attention drawn by the arrival of someone. Who could it be?

"Hey there, Third!" Mari says cheerfully, poking her head through the door.

"H-hey there, Mari," he replies. "Er… what are you doing here?"

Mari's brow flattens.

"Somebody got _drunk_ and completely forgot that you needed picking up."

Shinji blinks.

"Misato?"

"She's got just the _teeniest_ little alcoholism problem," she answers. "Now, do you fancy leaving? I _do_ have my driver's license."

On one hand, Mari and a car do not sound like a good combination. But on the other, another moment not spent here is a moment which could be spend at the closest thing he has to a home in this city. And the girl's nice enough, even if she's a bit… eccentric.

"Well… sure."

Mari breaks into another grin, and pumps her fist in the air.

"J-just try not to _kill us_ or anything, please. I'd rather _not_ die in a car crash."

"No worry. I'm a _very_ responsible driver."

* * *

\- _Ten minutes later._

Shinji steps out of the Alpine. The drive over… was actually fine. Mari exits the car, cracking a particularly catlike grin to the boy.

" _Told_ ya I was a good driver. Or were you expecting me to do some crazy shit and try to jump a ramp or something?"

Shinji's slightly embarrassed expression is all the answer Mari needs.

"...Oh my god, you _did_ ," she giggles, holding a hand up to her mouth. The red tint to Shinji's face only intensifies.

"Well, just goes to show… probably something really clichéd about books and covers. Whatever, right?"

The boy nods awkwardly in return.

"S-sure. Right."

Mari claps him on the back, directing them towards the elevator.

"Come on, Shinji. Let's go."


	10. Chapter 010

The Evangelion hung in the Cage, bars of heavy grey metal overlaying its silver-white armour. Its eyes were dim, the single horn on its forehead glinting softly in the dull light. Its limbs, sheathed in flexible composite and titanium, were limp, hanging down by its side. The only imperfections that marred the Eva's surface were a blackened patch around an eye, and a gleaming mesh down its right arm.

Eva Unit-01, the second Evangelion ever built, slept.

A voice broke the silence.

"The reactivation test will commence tomorrow morning, correct?"

And soon after came another, in reply.

"...Yes sir."

"Good. We can't let a little setback like this discourage us. After all, there is still much to do."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 010: This is (Not) Easy**

"Miso, I'm back with Shinji!" Mari announced, poking her head into the apartment, before bringing her voice down to a more respectable volume. "And don't worry, I didn't leave any dents in your car."

"Wooo-hooo…" a half-conscious voice cheers from the living room. An exasperated 'Wark' follows after it.

Mari sighed, and turned to Shinji.

"Well, I guess I'll be leaving ya here, Third. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Shinji replied. "I'll see you then as well."

Mari nodded.

.

.

Shinji looked around, and coughed.

"Er… you... you were leaving, right?"

The girl blinked, awkwardly realizing that she, in fact, was still standing at the doorway.

"I- er… Yeah, of course!" Mari sputtered. "I'll just… yeah…" the girl gestured, trying to make up for the poor speech, as she slowly stepped back.

"I'll be going now."

Finally finished with completely embarrassing herself, Mari left, retreating to her own apartment.

Somewhat reluctantly, Shinji turned towards his own. Fortunately, it didn't seem like Misato would be… troublesome to deal with, even if she was drunk.

He hoped.

* * *

The next day was school. Curiously enough, Rei wasn't there- though her standoffish attitude meant that Shinji didn't really notice it until halfway through the class, when Kensuke pointed it out to him over the computer.

((Evangelgroupie: This sorta thing happened two months ago, back with Unit-01.)) came the message.

((Evangelgroupie: They were conducting… I'm not sure. Some sort of test. From what I've heard, it didn't go very well.))

* * *

 _The silver giant screamed, ripping through its restraints._

" _Berserker!"_

" _Eject the power cord!"_

 _Eyes an angry red, the primal being lunged, tearing at the walls. Sheets of metal fell, even as the containment network activated._

 _From the ceiling dropped and array of turrets, firing in an attempt to distract it from escape. It worked. Technically._

 _Unit-01 rounded on the guns, bullets bouncing off the titanium composite armour. It roared again, furious-_

 _And then a bullet struck it in the eye, ripping through the delicate shell and piercing the surface._

 _The Evangelion screamed, a disturbingly human sound, as mechanics all over it whirred to life._

" _Weapons systems are activating!"_

" _How much longer until it's out of power?"_

" _About a minute, sir!"_

 _The right arm raised, locking into position. Plates retracted, the entire wrist dislocating as the gun assembly twisted and unclamped, shifting into firing position._

" _It's dumping excess power into the caster!"_

" _Is Unit-01 trying to bring down the facility?!"_

 _Lightning wrapped along the unfolded arm, the air starting to overheat as the plasma charge formed._

 _Now only 30 seconds…_

 _29…_

 _28…_

 _27…_

" _Deploying special Bakelite!"_

 _Nozzles in the wall flipped open, spraying red fluid at the silver giant. And when fast-drying liquid meets superheated oxy-plasma…_

 _The results aren't pretty._

* * *

((Evangelgroupie: ...I never got to actually see it, but you'd _know_ it was bad. Rei was in the hospital for… well, more than a month,)) Kensuke finished. From where he sat, Shinji could actually see Kensuke tapping his fingers together in worry.

((ZaBeasto has joined the chat))

((ZaBeasto: So, you're worried about her, mm?))

While Shinji admittedly hadn't been expecting Mari, Kensuke wasn't exactly off-guard.

((Evangelgroupie: Well…))

((Evangelgroupie: I mean, who _wouldn't_ be worried bout one of their friends doing something that hospitalized them last time?))

* * *

 _The entry plug. The seat of the soul._

Admittedly, that was complete, gibbering nonsense, but Rei sometimes liked to think she had a poetic streak.

The pale girl sat, listening to the hum of machinery and the pump of a massive heart around her. Unit-01's fury had calmed from last time, though she could tell the Eva's beastiel mind was waking.

Still, that could be dealt with soon enough. The security measures had been increased, Unit-01's berserker rage shackled until use could be found for it.

Rei took another breath of LCL, letting the primordial soup diffuse directly into her lungs.

"Second stage complete. Activating synchronization in three… two… one…"

She was inside Unit-01's head.

And Unit-01 was inside hers. The snarls of the Beast shoved themselves into her mind, gesturing with a thousand accusing talons, a thousand fanged maws spitting words of bile and hate.

 _Copy copy not me not original prey prey eat it pain eye arm destroy regrow._

Rei didn't give in to it.

 _No._

 _Will not obey submit give in small false go away leave._

 _No._

 _Explain question give answer why shouldn't I just kill you now._

 _._

 _We need you._

.

In an instant, the presence froze to metaphorical ice.

Rei waited. Waited for a response, waited for the Eva to make up its mind, waited for any number of things to go wrong…

 _((Synchronization active at 30.41%.))_ cheerfully chimed the computer. _((Evangelion Test-Type Unit-01 has been successfully activated.))_

Had it not been for the continually-oxygenated environment, Rei might have released a breath that she could have been holding. The dark passion of the horned giant remained, but confusion flickered across it, flashing like thunder.

… _explain,_ asked the Beast.

.

And so Rei told it.

* * *

Far away, a consciousness stirs.

Entombed within a man-sized sphere of impossibly hard material, it has slept for seventeen long years. Memories of its brethren flood its mind.

Father, slain by his own strength.

One, torn apart by a spidery freak.

Two, gutted by an orange giant.

Three, pulled down and broken.

This shall not happen. Not to them.

.

Ramiel, Thunder of God, would not let it happen.

* * *

 _A day later._

" _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"_


	11. Chapter 011

_NERV Berlin, the day before._

.

He was being annoying again.

For some reason, he just _had_ to bring it up. How he'd actually found out was a mystery. An _annoying_ mystery.

She didn't know if he was actively _trying_ to get on her nerves, or if it was an accident. But honestly, she didn't really care either way. Annoyances didn't tend to go well when the Second Child was involved.

.

"Care to _repeat_ that, Nagisa?"

The target in question shrugged, unruly silvery grey hair bouncing with the movement.

"I'm not sure _why_ repeating myself is even necessary. Surely I said it clearly enough the first time?"

A pair of vibrant blue eyes _stared_.

The boy sighed.

"Fine, if I must. I'd said that you looked rather… irritated, to say the least."

Not quite enough to satisfy. The girl planted hand on hip, a single eyebrow swooping up.

"... And I'd suggested that _perhaps_ it was due to the unavailability of a certain pilot who you appear to have a _rather close_ bond with. But given the emotional state I've seen you in during the times that you _have_ been with her, I don't see how mentioning it is in any way in-"

The words of Kaworu Nagisa, Provisional Second Child, were cut off in an instant as the red-headed girl most _definitely_ violated his personal space.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 011: Sie sind (Nicht) ein Dummkopf**

"Three things, Nagisa," hissed Asuka Langley Sohryu, nose to nose with the other pilot.

"One; shut the hell up. Two; _shut the hell up_. And three-"

"Does three involve you _yelling_ at me to 'shut the hell up'?" asked Kaworu, head tilting. "Because that would say marvels on both your tenacity _and_ repeatability."

Asuka's eyes narrowed.

"Nobody likes a smart ass, Nagisa."

It was then that Kaworu made the second worst mistake of his life.

" _You_ do."

* * *

 _Elsewhere in NERV-Berlin, a ponytailed man winced, and looked away from the security camera monitor._

" _Yeah… just gonna focus on something else," he muttered, turning away._

* * *

 _Half an hour and several blows later..._

.

Two giants stood on an empty field, one red as blood, the other grey as ash, identical in almost every other way.

Kaworu licked the last bit of blood off his lip. That last punch had caught him a little off guard.

"Are you _sure_ this is necessary?" he asked. "Perhaps you're simply overreacting."

" _And perhaps_ you're _simply a dummkopf, but that won't stop me from kicking your skinny, provisional arse across the field,"_ Asuka replied in turn, the red giant folding its arms.

The grey one rubbed the bridge of its face in exasperation.

 _~Why must my birthplace be in_ Germany _of all countries?~_ thought Kaworu. _~I could have gotten along with any of the other Children, but Ms. Sohryu seems_ determined _to make this entire process_ irritatingly _difficult.~_

The two armoured titans launched themselves at each other, drawing knives from their shoulder fins.

 _~I mean, I certainly don't have anything against the country itself… but blaming it_ all _on her… well, that's not exactly fair, even if she_ is _a little-!~_

The red one struck first, driving a blade through the grey one's left eye. Grimacing, Kaworu swung down with a hammer-fist, but Asuka dodged, relinquishing the knife to the other Eva's skull as she skipped away.

" _Hah! Take that!"_

"I'm not out of the fight yet," the boy replied coolly. "Eva Mark.02, launch Shredder Missiles!"

The grey giant's shoulders unfolded, exposing several racks of spike-tipped projectiles. With a roar of fire, every single one launched, all homing in on Mark.02's opponent!

Of course, when you work with someone for two years, you tend to pick up on their habits. There was next to no doubt in the Provisional Second's mind that Asuka would get past his missile smokescreen with minimal damage. But that left him with at most half a minute free.

Mark.02 retracted the blade of one knife, and lobbed it into the fray. The red Unit-02's own shoulders opened, firing off missiles in a bid to start a chain reaction.

As explosions ripped across the field, nearly destabilizing the simulated terrain, Kaworu yanked out the knife in his Eva's eye, purple-red blood pouring down its face.

" _Nice try, Nagisa! But not good enough!"_

* * *

Her Unit-02 was _glorious_. Even with other thoughts distracting her, and the Provisional Second having the social skills of a dying starfish, the Evangelion always shone bright.

She rushed out of the holographic smoke, ramming an elbow into the Mark.02's solar plexus! The next blow slammed into the side of its head with a crack, downing it.

Assured of her own victory at this point, Asuka raised her Progressive Knife…

.

And then the screen went dark.

The girl blinked, staring at the words that displayed on the surface of the simulated Entry Plug:

"WARNING. PATTERN BLUE DETECTED. SIXTH ANGEL IDENTIFIED."

For a second, the girl was silent.

.

And then she spoke.

"...Soll das eine verfickte Verarschung sein?"

* * *

Well, any good mood she might have had was gone. Good job, 'Sixth Angel'. Asuka stood in the Eva hanger alongside Kaworu, waiting for instructions.

"..."

"..."

Kaworu's tongue slithered out of his mouth, running over the busted lip. Asuka huffed, and looked away.

It wasn't that she wasn't _justified_ in her actions- at least, not in her mind. But there was a small chance that she _might_ have overreacted just a _little_ bit. The girl winced, as her conscience finally started to call foul.

 _~Verdammt, stupid four-eyes. You're starting to rub off on me,~_ the redhead thought.

.

"...So."

The boy turned, attention caught. Asuka coughed.

"I… have come to the conclusion that punching you... _might not_ have been the _best_ idea I've had. N-not that my ideas are _bad_ ; this one was just… less good."

A corner of Kaworu's mouth turned up slightly.  
"Sohryu… would you care to repeat that?"

Asuka leveled a glare at him, and crossed her arms.

"Don't push your luck, Nagisa. All I'm saying is that I won't be aiming at your _face_ anymore." The Second Child turned away again, mouth screwed up. "Besides, all I'd accomplish if I _did_ would be hurting my fist, and there's _no way_ that _your_ stupid face is worth it!"

 _~Honestly, how long does it take for NERV to narrow down the Angel's trajectory? Am I deploying or not?! ~_

The silence continued for a few minutes, before she finally got an answer. The Angel's destination was not in Europe. It was, once again, Japan.

 _~... Ver_ dammt.~

* * *

"At least I'll be transferring in a few months," Asuka said to herself, drumming her fingers on the desk. "At this rate, I'll _have_ to be in Japan in order to get a shot at an Angel."

 _~Plus,~_ said her subconscious, chiming in with a tone that the Second Child would _never_ have used nowadays. _~There's always-~_ "No, shut up," Asuka muttered, shoving _that_ particular thought back into the depths. She didn't need _those_ sorts of things distracting her.

.

"... Stupid cat-faced weirdo. "


	12. Chapter 012

He'd died.

.

That's what they told him. That his heart had actually stopped for several minutes.

He could believe it easily enough. Still shuddering from the pain of having his ribcage melted open- or rather, Unit-00's ribcage- Shinji sat, crumpled on a bench.

Misato had some harebrained scheme to kill _it_ , as he might have suspected. Something about a gun powered by Japan…

He didn't want any part of it. He didn't want to pilot anymore.

Of course, he'd have to. Shinji didn't have any say in the matter.

The boy lay down on his side, curled up into a ball, reliving the nightmare of a few hours ago.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 012: You Will (Not) Survive**

" _Eva Unit-00, launch!"_

 _Once more, Shinji sped upwards, before Unit-00 reached the cloudy surface. The clamps unlocked, and the orange Eva took a step forward, looking across the lake on the edge of the city._

 _What happened next wasn't pretty._

 _The rolling clouds split, exposing the Angel in all its glory. Nearly a kilometer wide, the being reassembled a massive octahedron carved from solid blue crystal. Above each face was a triangular plate, floating several meters away._

" _High energy reaction detected!" Someone shouted over the radio, far too late to help._

 _The crystal's edges ignited, turquoise fire coursing to a single point on its tip._

 _Shinji's eyes widened._

 _And then Ramiel opened fire._

 _._

 _After that, Shinji didn't remember much of anything. The only thing left was the unrelenting, burning pain- not just from the feedback, but from the LCL boiling in the plug._

 _Needless to say, unconsciousness was swift._

 _But the memories weren't._

* * *

"Alright then!" Misato announced. Gathered around the table were a number of people, including the NERV bridge crew, a few members of the JSSDF, the heads of the other NERV subsections, and- most noticeably- the First and Fifth Children.

"Here's the plan."

"The Angel- Ramiel, we're calling it- has started drilling through our armour plating, and will reach us in an estimated maximum of twenty-four hours. If that happens, we're all screwed."

"Ramiel's AT Field is the strongest we've seen yet- we'd be absurdly lucky if a single Eva could neutralize it. Additionally, it has an area of denial that covers the entire city and then some; it locks onto anything hostile within this radius, and destroys it with a high-power particle beam, thus rendering conventional Evangelion combat and tactics _useless_."

"There's only one way we can destroy this thing: hit it with something hard enough to break its AT Field, and do that from _outside_ the area of denial. Fortunately, NERV and the JSSDF have been collaborating to build such a weapon for the last few years. Rits, if you will?"

Doctor Akagi sighed at the informal nickname, but stepped up nonetheless. With the flick of a switch, the table's projectors flipped up, rearranging into hologram-projection mode. A shape flickered into existence, before solidifying about a foot above the surface.

It was clearly a weapon, with a very long body and barrel, a wide stock, two handles- one on each side- and a number of cable connection ports along the body.

"This is the Long-Range Positron Sniper Cannon, the result of NERV and the JSSDF's collaborative efforts. Aside from the Evangelions, this is the most powerful weapon we have available. It has a long enough range to be fired from outside the denial zone, and can take an extremely high-energy charge."

Ritsuko stepped back, letting Misato take the reins from there.

"We're setting up a series of capacitors and transformers to focus the entirety of Japan's power grid into the cannon, in order to penetrate Ramiel's field. This means that we can't continually move the weapon- but we should be able to keep _some_ maneuverability from our firing platform. Mari, Rei, up here."

At the mention of her name, Mari perked up further, leaning closer. Rei just blinked, waiting for the woman to continue.

"You two are the key to our operation, given that Shinji's…"

"-Completely traumatized?" suggested Mari.

"-In less than ideal condition to pilot?" suggested Rei, at the same time.

"...yeah," Misato sighed. "Mari, because of your high synchronization and the stable platform Unit-05 provides, you'll be in charge of aiming and firing the positron cannon. Rei, you'll be in charge of defending Unit-05 from attacks using one of several electro-reflective heat shields. If one shield get damaged, discard it and take another, that's why we have spares. And as for Shinji… well, we're setting him up as emergency backup, in case one of the Evas is too badly damaged."

"Is that understood?"

The reply of 'yes ma'am' was resounding, causing a grin to sneak across Misato's face.

"Alright then! We've got twenty four hours to make this happen! Let's do this, people!"

* * *

 _T-17 hours, Operation Yashima. 2:00 AM._

Ramiel hung in the air like a monolith, the floating plates slowly orbiting it. The lower four had elongated, a pair twisting through the ground like a drill, while the other two continually shoveled out material. The upper four tilted as they orbited, turning towards moving objects within the denial zone. The Angel's main body didn't move, except for the occasional flicker of teal along an edge.

.

A few missiles swooped in from an out-of-view launcher, aimed in the general direction of the Angel. The response was immediate; one of the upper plates broke orbit, flying forward to block the explosion. Ramiel's edges ignited, before a thin, blue-green beam lanced out from a point, spearing the second wave with ease.

A minute passed, and Ramiel's edges cooled down, the Angel resuming its steady burrowing.

* * *

 _T-11 hours, Operation Yashima. 8:00 AM._

Unit-05 climbed up the mountain, low to the ground. Its new arms were plenty strong, boxy limbs with five taloned fingers on each hand, all painted in military green, with a few yellow highlights.

The Eva paused, helmeted head turning to stare at Ramiel, illuminated by the rising sun.

 _~...Bloody blue bastard,~_ thought Mari. _~Let's see who's really the better gunner, e-?~_

Something poked Unit-05 in the rear.

.

"... 'scuse me?" Mari asked, turning the Eva's view downwards. Unit-01 retracted its finger, and put the hand back on the lower concrete step.

" _Pilot Makinami,"_ came Rei's voice. _"If you could refrain from sightseeing and internal monologues until both Evangelions have reached the top, I would greatly appreciate it."_

"Ah. Right. Sorry, Rei!"

Somewhat awkwardly, the larger cyborg resumed its climb, closely followed by Unit-01.

.

At the bottom of the hill, Unit-00 was still walking, each step heavy and shaking. With its chest barely reinforced with steel plating, and the way it carried itself, the Eva looked like it was struggling under the weight of the world.

.

Or perhaps that was its pilot who was.

* * *

 _T-6 hours, Operation Yashima. 1:00 PM._

The Evas had done most of the work, carrying the heavy cannon up to the top of the mountain where the firing platform rested. Unit-05 had been set up, holding onto the cannon with both hands, pressing the wide stock against its reinforced sternum. An N2 reactor was attached to the backpack, offering not only an exceedingly long time limit, but also a power boost for the actual weapon, and a counterweight for its great mass. Of course, Mari wasn't actually _in_ the Eva- there wasn't any reason for her to be at this time.

No, Mari- along with the other Children- was busy eating lunch on a separate platform.

Rei sat quietly, focused passionately on her salad. This was the first time the other two had seen her in her actual plugsuit- a dark indigo garment with gunmetal and white detailing on the top half around her shoulders and chest. A bit of an odd colour choice for Unit-01's pilot… but then again, the 00 plugsuit also didn't quite fit colour-wise.

Shinji, if at all possible, was quieter than Rei- or would have been, if his meal _wasn't_ instant ramen.

Mari was eating a sandwich. A cheese, ham, and mustard sandwich, to be precise. She'd sealed it in a container, and brought it with her in the entry plug. Typical Mari.

.

Finally, Mari decided to do something about the silence.

"So," she said, taking a break from her lunch. "This is… different. Eh?"

"..."

"..."

Neither Rei nor Shinji replied. Mari sighed.

 _~This is going to be a long six hours, isn't it?~_

* * *

 _T-2 hours, Operation Yashima. 5:00 PM._

Time was almost up. The last few checks were being made; checks on the Evas, checks on the power lines, checks on the positron cannon. Everyone who wasn't making checks was at their stations- including the pilots.

Unit-05 shifted back on its haunches, the closest that the wheeled Eva could get to sitting down at the moment. To its right, Unit-01 sat, hands resting on one of the massive, triangular heat shields. Unit-00, due to being purely backup in this situation, sat further back.

With two hours to spare, Mari decided to give it another shot.

.

The light in Shinji's Plug blinked, a small text alerting him of an incoming transmission. Reluctantly, the boy flicked a switch on his console, accepting the transmission. A video link snapped up, floating in the LCL thanks to the projectors.

"Ikari. We need to talk."

Much to his surprise, the face that appeared _wasn't_ Mari.

It was Rei.

"I… Ayanami?" the boy asked, voice cracking as it started up. "What… what is it?"

"You don't want to do this, correct? You're retreating, in fear of being hurt."

A slow nod came in reply.

"Understandable. Fear is a natural reaction to things that harm people. However…"

Shinji looked back up, the uncertain wording drawing him in. Rei drew in a breath, still expressing the same calm as always.

"... I believe this point was where the Fifth recommended I begin talking about 'kicking aside common sense' and 'seizing life by the horns'... but that's _her_ method. I do not believe that such ideals would work well for you in any manner, as you have not exhibited her hotheaded attitude, nor the masochistic tendencies that I suspect she has. So my own method will be different."

Shinji blinked.

"Ikari. You have been hurt; this is correct. However, you are not the only one at risk here. As much as she will deny it, Pilot Makinami and I are putting ourselves in far more danger than you are. Captain Katsuragi is putting herself at risk, along with the lives of _every other human being_ in the city. At the moment, however, there are only three people who can put that risk to a use; and those three are _us_."

"But that's… that's just as bad!" Shinji replied. "You're saying that everyone's in danger, but you're also saying that _I'm_ one of the _three people_ who are responsible for them? After… after what happened?! That's crazy!"

"You've already been that responsible before. Remember the last two Angels? The ones that _you_ killed?"

"That- I had back up!" he protested. "T-the first one, Mari was there! And the second one, Misato was there with the intercept system! All I did was-"

"All _you_ did was enter combat with beings twenty times your size, wielding godlike powers, and slay them with _minimal_ loss of life," Rei interrupted. "You could do, despite the odds. Despite the fact that your training has been minimal at best, when compared to the other Children. Despite the fact that you were piloting the least advanced Evangelion at NERV's disposal."

"I- but-"

 _~But that was_ different! _If I'd had time to properly think about it, I_ never _could have done that! I-_

" _Shinji Ikari."_

Rei stared at him intensely.

"Like it or not, you have proven yourself to be successful in your efforts, even when severely disadvantaged against superior opposition. You are an Eva Pilot; and the Evas are the only thing that can save humanity. Yes, you have the largest responsibility of effectively _everyone_ on the planet, but _so do the others_."

"I am not asking you to be a hero. I am not asking you to sacrifice yourself for mankind's sake. I am not asking you to act as if everything is alright, because it is clearly _not_."

"What I _am_ asking for you to do... is trust us."

"Unless Unit-01 or Unit-05 are disabled, or otherwise unable to perform their intended function, _you will not have to do anything_. You have had backup before; now you _are_ backup. You are not the trump card, not the focus of the plan; you are the card NERV will play if everything else has started to fail."

"If that offers any consolation, trust me when I tell you that," Rei finished. "Goodbye, Ikari."

The transmission ended, leaving Shinji to mull it over.

* * *

Mari leaned back in the saddle, sliding open her helmet's visor. The girl made a few gestures in the fluid medium, letting her synchronization deal with the intent. As easy as that, the video link with Unit-01 opened up.

"So… how'd it go?" Mari asked.

"It was... within acceptable parameters," answered Rei.

Mari's eyebrow rose up.

"Did ya' use my speech thing?"

"No." The reply was blunt and simple.

"...why not?"

"I found numerous flaws in your argumentative style," answered Rei. "You made assumptions that would not mesh well with Ikari's psyche, least of all motivate him. I simply laid out the truth of the matter for him."

.

"... Huh." Mari blinked. "... Well, just so long as it works."

* * *

 _T-0 hours, Operation Yashima. 7:00 PM._

 _Operation Start._

.

All was silent. The diamond floating over Tokyo 3, the Evas waiting on the mountain top, everything. The last rays of the sun flickered over the mountain top, dazzling on Ramiel's body.

 _~This is it,~_ thought everyone.

Far below the city, the silence was broken.

"Commence Operation Yashima!"

* * *

All over the country, power was shunted off into special cables, designed to withstand the massive amounts of energy flowing through them. Like a system of roots, every power station intertwined with each-other, finally linking to the 'trunk' of the special power grid; a series of transformers that led up to the top of the mountain, where they'd funnel into the Positron Sniper Cannon, held by Unit-05.

* * *

The bridge was a cluster of activity, crew reading out displays or monitoring instrument panels.

"Coolant systems at maximum output!"

"All power links are accounted for, and ready for usage!"

"Positron generators spinning up! Particle storage at 50% capacity and rising!"

"Non-Nuclear cyclic fusion reactor's feed is performing optimally!"

"Connections from power grid to Mt. Futago are nominal! We're ready to go!"

Misato smirked. Everything was going according to plan.

"Alright then!" she shouted, voice rising above everyone else's. "Disengage the safeties! Output to the positron cannon!"

* * *

" _Disengage the safeties! Output to the positron cannon!"_

Mari grinned, bringing up the HUD inside her helmet.

"Disengaging safety locks!" she called back, as one of Unit-05's massive fingers flipped a switch on the weapon's side. "Positron cannon, receiving full output!"

Mari shrugged back her shoulders, tugging the control grips lightly. The Evangelion pulled, raising the massive rifle to near parallel with the ground.

"Beginning targeting procedures!"

Three targeting triangles appeared on the visor, inching towards the Angel in the middle.

"Weapon fully charged. Lock-on and discharge in five seconds…" Mari muttered into the microphone. "...four… three… two… on-"

* * *

Ramiel's mind sharpened.

 _A threat_ , it thought. The fire of its passion built up in an instant, ready to lash out at those who dared attack it.

.

 _Destroy._

* * *

" _High-energy output in the Angel!"_ Someone yelled, cracking Mari's concentration.

"-Shit!" the girl gasped, reflexively pulling the trigger.

With an earth-shaking roar, the Positron Cannon discharged, throwing a meter-thick beam of anti-electrons at Ramiel!

Ramiel's edged flashed, its own beam firing in retaliation with a scream! The two attacks, one blue-green, one pink, flew towards each-other- only to wrap around each-other, their identical charges repelling themselves! But even with the distortion to each-other, the beams still flew towards their targets- it'd take more than repelling charges to stop them!

Each side had their own defense, brought up frantically to save them.

Rapidly, Unit-01 shoved into the path of the Angel's beam, raising its shield! The shot dissolved into a spray, superheated plasma and anti-particles deflecting off to the side, carving a trench through the earth before it cut off.

At the same time, Ramiel's plates dropped from orbit, flying into the path of the Cannon's beam! The pink discharge pooled against the surface of the triangular plate for a moment… and then the center of the crystal cracked, and the blast shattered it, punching through the other three plates with its remaining charge before Ramiel managed to raise its AT Field, diffusing the scraps of the beam.

.

* * *

"Dammit! Get the next shot ready!" Misato yelled, as if she could speed up the cool-down cycle with sheer volume. Fortunately, this wasn't _too_ bad of a screw-up; they still had a few more minutes before the Angel-

"Penultimate armour plate destroyed!" someone called. "Captain! The Angel's drilling is speeding up! We have less than sixty seconds left until it penetrates the final plate!"

.

The Positron cannon took _twenty five_ seconds to charge. This was going to be close.

* * *

Unit-01 stumbled back, the heat shield dripping onto the dirt. Mari gritted her teeth, yanking on one of the gun's grips to eject the spent fuse.

 _~C'mon, c'mon…~_ the girl thought anxiously, eyes flicking to the reset timer! _~Just a_ little _faster…~_

And then she heard someone say it. Four words that promised nothing good.

" _High-energy reading detected!"_

.

Ramiel's edges ignited, energy coursing towards a single point on its surface!

"Fuck!" Mari cussed again, leaning away from the Angel. Not that it would help.

With superhuman reflexes, Unit-01 dove in front of her once more, bracing its massive shield!

.

Not a second too soon.

With the scream of an Angel, a spike of energy lanced out from Ramiel, slamming head-first into the AT-reinforced shield! The electro-reflective coating did its job, diverting some of the positrons away to slide around them like water- but with the shield already half melted from the previous shot, it was only a matter of time before their defense fell.

" _Makinami, how much longer until you can fire?"_ Rei asked, digging Unit-01's heel into the dirt.

Mari's eye flicked down to the timer.

"Crap! _Fifteen seconds?!"_ In this situation, fifteen seconds could be a death sentence.

.

Just then, Ramiel, hurt and very, very pissed off, decided to go the extra mile. The plates that had formed its drill retracted, and combined, sliding in front of the beam.

Just like a lens.

.

Magnified by the focusing plates, the shield didn't stand a chance against Ramiel's beam. The layers of metal and ceramic buckled, liquefying in an instant, leaving only Unit-01 itself to protect Unit-05-!

.

The blinding light cut off.

.

* * *

.

Mari's eyes widened at the shape interposing itself before the beam. Unit-01, hands steaming and dripping metal, watched as well.

.

Evangelion Unit-00 stood, bracing one of the spare heat shields against the ground, as it held off Ramiel's onslaught.

" _W-what are you waiting f-for?!"_ Shinji grunted, as the barrier began to melt away. _"J-just shoot the damn thing already!"_

Mari shot a glance down at the timer; four seconds until charge.

"Right!"

Once more, Unit-05 raised the Positron Cannon, as Unit-01 helped the orange Eva with the swiftly-disintegrating shield.

"Target lock in three seconds!" Mari shouted. "Two! One!"

"Everyone, _move!"_

The pair of cyborgs gave one last shove, before dropping to the ground.

Howling to the world, the Positron Cannon discharged once more!

The pink beam cored the Angel's attack, breaking through its defensive plates and AT Field, before striking! Ramiel's back half erupted, the anti-particle attack tearing a ragged hole right through its body!

With a feeble call, the dying Angel's levitation gave out, and several thousand tons of sizzling crystal crashed to the ground.

.

The Angel was dead.

* * *

The rifle dropped to the ground with a clatter, Unit-05 forcibly ejecting the power connections from its back as it hunched over to look at the others.

Unit-01's hands were completely exposed, mottled flesh still steaming. The rest of its armour was marred, drips and trenches dipping into its surface, and the umbilical cable had dissolved into molten metal and rubber.

Unit-00's jury-rigged chestplate had already begun to melt, even in the short time it had been using the shield. Its red mono-eye sparked, the camera most likely overloaded by the brightness.

"Rei! Shinji! Are… are you guys okay?" Mari asked.

.

" _Aff-affirmative,"_ came Rei's reply, Unit-01 giving a slow nod. _"I am… unharmed."_

Mari nodded, before turning to the other Eva.

"Shinji?"

Unit-00 creaked, pushing itself up with shaky arms.

" _I'm… I'm fine,"_ the Third Child said, breathing deeply. _"Just… one thing. P-_ please _don't_ ever _do something that stupid again. I'd rather n-not have to play hero again."_

A smile of relief crept onto Mari's face. Spontaneously, the girl surged forwards, Unit-05 pulling the two other Evas into a crushing hug.

"N-no promises, you guys."


	13. Chapter 013

{ :ONLINE}

{...}

{( ) has entered interface.}

{(transcript):'Hello, Mr. Tokita.'}

{(transcript):'How are you today?'}

{(input):'Same as always, Gabriel.'}

{(input):'And you?' command:status_report}

{command:status_report, acknowledged}

{(transcript):'I am in excellent condition. All recent software patches have been examined and installed, as per protocol. Antivirus equipment has functionality:99.99%. 00.01% failure rate within acceptable parameters. All files have been backed up in (sub) (designation:backup_storage).'}

{(input):'That is very good. Are you prepared for the scheduled events?'}

{(response):AFFIRMATIVE.}

{(transcript):'I am ready.'}

{(input):'Excellent. I'll see you then, Gabriel.'}

{( ) has exited interface.}

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 013: This is (Not) in Error**

It had been a week since Ramiel's defeat, and the Evas were back in their cages. While Unit-05 had suffered minimal damage, except for boiled-off paint, the other two were under more intensive repair. Both Unit-00 and Unit-01 were undergoing a full-armour refit, which- at the moment- left them almost completely unarmoured, except for their emergency restraints and internal weapons. But while the Evas were inactive, their pilots were anything but.

* * *

Misato glanced over the letter again.

No, she wasn't dreaming, much as she'd like to.

"'Captain Misato Katsuragi and Third Child Shinji Ikari, Japan Heavy Chemical Industries hereby invites you, along with the other pilots of the Evangelion units, to a demonstrative activation of our _second_ Anti-Angel weapon'? _Seriously?_ They didn't learn from last time?!"

Shinji shrugged. He hadn't exactly heard much of anything considered an 'Anti-Angel weapon' besides the Evas. Except perhaps…

"Um, Misato?" he asked.

""Yeah, Shinji?"  
"Kensuke's mentioned to me that Rei's gone up against a 'Jet Alone'. Would… would _that_ be the 'last time' that you're referring to?"

Misato tensed up a little at the name, before sighing.

"...Yeah. I have _no_ idea how they're even still in business after that fiasco, let alone how they have the funding for another one of those _things_."

.

"So, I take it we're not going?" asked Shinji flatly.

" _Hell_ no," came the reply. "I'm _not_ going to head over and listen to that sexist bastard ramble on how much 'better' his robot is compared to the Evas _again_. I've had enough of _that_ for one lifespan, thank you very much!"

"...Oh." Shinji sounded a little crestfallen. Truth be told, he wouldn't have minded seeing something giant that wasn't an Eva or an Angel, even if only to get his mind occupied by something else.

.

 _~...Darn it,~_ thought Misato.

"Of course…" the woman sighed. "It _might_ be worth heading over." Of course, she wasn't just going to let herself cave in _that_ easily; she had a reputation to uphold! " _If only_ just to see how badly they screw up _this_ time."

Another thought. Misato blinked, then turned towards Shinji.

"...Since when have _you_ been a fan of giant robots?" Shinji coughed, and averted his gaze.

"Mari, uh… invited me and Kensuke to her place on Tuesday. We did our homework, and… kinda watched the entirety of _Gunbuster_ afterwards. I…" Shinji coughed, and looked back at her. "I liked it."

.

"...Huh."

* * *

Mari, as expected, had been quite thrilled to learn about the invitation, as even if the entire event turned out to be a disaster, she'd still get to see an actual giant robot- and possibly fight one if it went rogue. Rei, who had actually helped stop the _first_ Jet Alone, was a little less passionate about the idea- while the letter had promised consolation for the Jet Alone incident, she didn't think that that would automatically make the new machine safer or more likely to succeed, unless it was radically different from the first one. She'd described her feelings on the matter to the others as what was essentially distrust.

A valid point, Mari had admitted, though that didn't change the fact that it was a _giant robot_.

.

Rei failed to see how that argument was at all relevant to her concerns.

* * *

The exhibition started on a Sunday, and ran for a few days afterwards, but NERV could easily afford to have the pilots miss a few days of school. The drive itself was initially uneventful, which prompted Mari to comment how different this was to Misato's normal habits.

Five minutes later, and Mari admitted that she _may_ have made a mistake in tempting the woman. Three consecutive 'rotary side-spins'- as Misato referred to them as- in a souped-up Alpine could manage to make even the Fifth Child- who tended to throw her Eva around like nobody's business- a little bit queasy.

Fortunately, the rest of the two-hour ride gave ample time for everyone to regain their bearings, and for their hearts to sink back down their throats. No further comments on Misato's driving were made, by Mari, or anyone else.

* * *

The blue car pulled up at the exhibition center, whose parking lot- somewhat unsurprisingly- was significantly less crowded than the first time Misato had been here. Finding a spot wasn't a concern, even though there was already a defined spot marked for NERV members.

 _~So, this is the place we'll be staying at, huh?~_ Shinji thought to himself, shouldering the small pack of equipment that he'd brought with him. _~Seems pretty nice.~_

The other similarly looked around, with varying expressions; Misato with weary displeasure, Mari and Rei with what mainly seemed to be indifference…

..and Pen-Pen with curiosity.

"Wark?"

Shinji blinked, turning to face the penguin.

"...Misato, why did we bring Pen-Pen again?"

"Because."

"Captain," said Rei. "I… have a hard time believing that your reasoning is _at all_ valid."

Misato shrugged.

"Hey, the letter didn't say anything about not bringing penguins."

Both Rei and Shinji's brows furrowed simultaneously.

"But that doesn't…"

"Katsuragi, I _really_ don't…"

"Ah, if it isn't Captain Katsuragi!" The voice caught everyone's attention, causing all five heads to turn in near unison. In the doorway of the building, tall and confident, stood the chief executive of the Japan Heavy Chemical Industries' Jet Alone project, Shiro Tokita.

"It's been awhile since last time, hasn't it, Captain?"

* * *

Shiro Tokita, despite a slightly-too-wide suit and a patch of stubble that had sprouted from his chin like lichen, exuded the same aura of charisma that he had two years ago. He grinned a cheerful businessman's grin, careful to keep a nonthreatening posture. This _was_ , after all, the head of NERV's tactical division he was dealing with.

"And I see you brought the Children with you as well," Tokita added, giving a nod towards the three teens. "Why don't you finish getting your stuff, and I'll show you around?"

"...fine," Misato grunted, shouldering her rucksack, before stuffing Pen-Pen under her other arm. She hadn't stayed here long last time, so a tour would be rather useful… even if it was being done by someone like Tokita.

Packing up- or was it packing out? Packing down? Whatever it was called, it didn't take long. Rei's stuff was both minimal and efficient, and Mari had no trouble with her own stuff, despite the rather cumbersome shape it was in.

"Mari, mind reminding me why you decided to bring your _synchronization helmet_ of all things?"

"Oh, _sure_. Just as soon as you remind me why _you_ decided to bring _Pen-Pen_ of all things? No offense, Pen-Pen."

"Wark."

Misato sniffed, and shifted the topic.

"Oi, Tokita! Where's that tour you promised?"

The man in question sighed.

.

 _~This had_ better _pay off, Gabriel,~_ thought Shiro.

* * *

The building itself was nothing to sniff at.

Since the last showcase it had held, the exhibition room had grown, offering an even better view of the testing area for the new product. Not only was there a set of massive windows, the ceiling had also been fully repaired, meaning that there was no longer a robot's giant footprint punching through the building's roof.

There were other luxuries here as well, meant to entertain anyone who was staying here. Among them were several deluxe suites- one of which the five would be staying in- a spacious dining hall, a newly added gaming center, and- of all things- an _indoor pool_. It was a lot to take in at once, at least for Shinji. Shiro continued to narrate; the unfurling of the new product would take place in two days, so there would be ample time for NERV's representatives to enjoy themselves- a fact that relieved quite a few of them. However, there was _one_ more thing that he requested they see before retiring to their suite; something _only_ for NERV.

Did this sound suspicious? Oh, yes.

Were they going to see it anyways? Oh, _yes_.

* * *

.

"Our product's pilot has requested to meet you before the exhibition," explained Shiro, leading the quintet down the hallway. As they arrived at a large wooden door, Misato's brow furrowed.

"Pilot?" she asked. "Wasn't your entire argument for Jet Alone that it didn't require an actual human to be out in the field?"

The executive nodded, and grabbed the handle.

"You'll see."

.

The door creaked as it swung open, letting the sounds of piano escape the room.

It wasn't very good piano.

"Ah, Mr. Tokita!" exclaimed someone from inside. The voice was odd… Shinji couldn't quite place it. It didn't sound particularly familiar, but he could tell _something_ was off about it.

"I'm glad you've came," it continued. Or was it he? The voice itself was androgynous enough, but with enough of a 'thrum' to it that the whole was lent a barely detectable male-ness to it. "I'm experiencing some difficulty with this. No matter what I try, I simple _cannot_ play this... _confounded_ musical device! I don't know _how_ , but this piano _eludes_ me. It's almost infuriating. Perhaps it is my fin-"

"Gabriel, I brought NERV," Shiro interrupted, pushing open the door all the way, giving the five a good view of the room as the awful piano playing cut off.

It wasn't terribly big, but it was impressive, with marble floors, bright lighting, and several... mechanical interfaces? Shinji wasn't quite sure what they were for, until his eyes trained over to the piano leaning against the right wall, and its player.

Unconsciously, Shinji's breath caught in his throat.

The speaker stood up softly, pushing in the bench, before giving a respectful bow. They stood about the same height as Mari, with a rather clean-cut build.

They were also made of metal.

Each limb's joints were defined, hydraulic cables and pistons exposed where the semi-glossy maroon-black plates didn't cover. A few lights pulsed gently, highlighting the simultaneously smooth and angular body of the… being. Their face- if it could be called a face- consisted of a thin vent running across either cheek, and a set of six small cameras for eyes.

"Ah, excuse me," the being said, the hidden hint of synthetization in their voice now audible to the boy. "I request an audience with the women and adolescents responsible for combatting the greatest threat to our planet, and they run into me whilst I'm preoccupied with a troublesome instrument. How embarrassing of me. Truly, I _must_ beg your apologies." Their head drooped, shaking in disappointment, before glancing back up. The mechanical being straightened up, standing at attention.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am MAGI-class bio-supercomputer AI _'Gabriel'_ , operating system and pilot of the Mark 2 Anti-Angel Mecha, 'Jet Alone 2. It's a pleasure to meet you all."


	14. Chapter 014

For a second, everyone stared at the being before them; some, like Mari, with explicit interest; some, like Rei, with confusion.

Shinji and Misato? They stared in shock.

Several lights on the robot's face flickered, before their head tilted to one side in concern.

"...I'm sorry, is… there some sort of problem?" MAGI Gabriel asked, inflecting curiosity into his voice. The artificial intelligence turned to Shiro, inquiring. "Mr. Tokita... you _did_ remember to explain to NERV that _I am a MAGI_ , correct?" Shiro coughed. Gabriel's upper 'eyes' dimmed, giving the impression of a furrowed brow.

"...I'm going to interpret your vague response as a _negative_ , Mr. Tokita. _Honestly_ , I would sigh- if any of my bodies possessed a suitable pneumatic system."

The AI's camera eyes whirred, sliding in their sockets to fix the NERV team with a bright gaze.

"My personal apologies. You may retire to your suite without interruption- I was simply curious. Please, enjoy the exhibition. Perhaps I will be able to speak with you later."

Misato, Shinji, and Mari gave slow nods, while Rei blinked a few times.

"Y-yeah. Maybe later," Misato said, before the group walked out.

Gabriel's electronic gaze followed them until the door shut. Components whirring softly in his chest, the AI sat down on the piano bench.

"Mr. Tokita," he asked. "Do you think I made an error in calling them to see me so soon?"

Shiro sat down on the bench beside the robot, leaning back against the instrument.

"It's hard to tell with organisations like NERV," he commented, businessman personality fading away.

"But still, you know what they say; to err is human."

Gabriel's head twisted at that, giving Shiro a decidedly unamused look.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 014: This Was (Not) in Error**

"Okay, three- no, four things!" Misato practically shouted, pacing back and forth in the suite room she'd designated as her own. "One; what the hell? Two; _what the hell?_ Three; how the hell did _JHCI_ of all organisations get a _MAGI-class AI_ working for them?! And four…" At this point, the woman's steam ran out, and her pacing slowed. "Four; I'm _really_ glad I brought my beer. God knows I'm going to need it."

There was a click, as Misato popped the tab on the can.

* * *

Mari lay back on her chosen bed, grinning like a cheshire cat.

" _First_ a giant robot, rebuilt from a failed test two years prior; then an old acquaintance of Miso's, who she clearly has a grudge against; and _now_ a MAGI that can't play piano properly? Heh, looks like this visit's gonna be even _more_ interesting than I'd hoped for!"

The girl rolled over onto her side, facing her laptop. Mari giggled with glee, and tapped out rapid-fire onto the keyboard.

" _Very_ interesting _indeed_." If anything, her grin grew, propping up her head with one hand as her other typed away. "Let's see what my be- _autiful_ Princess thinks of this development, mmm?~"

.

ZaBeasto has joined the chat.

* * *

Shinji sat, hunched over at the foot of his bed, as he lazily watched Pen-Pen read a magazine.

He honestly had no idea why Misato had sent the penguin to bunk with him, but it wasn't disagreeable. At least he had a distraction- one that was something else than his thoughts about Jet Alone and its… interesting AI. 'Gabriel', he'd called himself.

Now, Shinji was never particularly religious- and certainly not interested in Christianity of all things- but the name sounded… familiar.

"Gabriel…" he muttered, keeping his gaze on the penguin. "Isn't that an Angel's name?"

"Wark," answered Pen-Pen incomprehensibly.

The boy sighed, and lay back on the bed.

"It's probably nothing. After all, Angels can't be built like they're a machine. Right?"

"Wark."

"... You know, this conversation would be a _lot_ more interesting if it was with someone who actually spoke Japanese. No offense, Pen-Pen."

* * *

Rei Ayanami stood, deep in thought. But not just about Jet Alone, or its so-called 'pilot' AI. No, the girl's mind jumped back and forth, pausing trains of thought to add onto others, before returning to the previous ones.

 _~The AI… a MAGI-class bio-supercomputer. MAGI run on the same system as the Evas.~_

 _~Eva Unit-01. I told it we needed it. The truce was tenuous at best… will it still accept me?~_

 _~The PT subsystem. Used to build the MAGI. Melchior, Casper, Balthasar. And now Gabriel is among their ranks. If MAGI-01 uses_ her _signal as a base, who does Gabriel use?~  
~Will it accept me again? If it does not, I will not have any other options, except for Unit-00. But Unit-00…~_

 _~No matter his donor, it is clear why Gabriel is used. The last Jet Alone was immensely complex; this new one is likely to be even more so. The first one's supercomputer could not bear the stress, but a MAGI could do it with ease. A MAGI could control an army, if it was organized correctly.~_

 _~...Unit-00 is different. The other me… it could be dangerous. My self might become lost within me. Unit-00 is curious, and lonely…~_

 _~But no more dangerous than Unit-01 is. A fierce Beast, one that should not be tested to its limits. The Commander has seen what happens when that occurs.~_

 _~And now we will see what happens to Jet Alone, once and for all.~_

* * *

 _The next day._

.

Precise as always, Gabriel's fingers worked, pressing the keys rapidly. The sequence was working fine…

The AI attempted to shift his hands to another part of the board, only to send a finger flying down a second too soon, driving in an error. Had his telepresence body possessed an expressive face, the MAGI would have winced in irritation. Annoyed by the failure, Gabriel moved his hands back over the first set of keys, ready to begin again.

 _*Cree~eak*_

The door opened. As he had yesterday, the MAGI turned, and stood up.

"Yes?" There was a slight crackle as the external speakers activated, before Gabriel's artificial voice resolved itself into its partially synthesized but otherwise perfectly 'human' norm.

The visitor was, interestingly enough, none other than the First Child.

"Ah, Ms. Ayanami," said the AI, giving a quick bow. "I take it that you're here because of my suggestion the previous day?"

Rei nodded.

"In that case, have a seat." The MAGI replied, gesturing to a stool nearby. "There are a few things I wish to speak to you about, before tomorrow."

As Rei took the offered seat, Gabriel shot his first question.

"Why do you pilot an Eva?"

* * *

Why, indeed?

Rei Ayanami had not asked herself that question many times, for she already knew the answer. Or rather, the _answers_ , plural; for it wasn't just a single reason that Rei piloted.

Of course, some she simply couldn't say- the MAGI wasn't permitted to know those. But there _were_ some she could share with others.

So Rei told him those.

.

And Gabriel listened.

* * *

The meeting finished, Rei sought out the others once more. While her timing had been odd, there shouldn't be any issue.

Equipped with one of the keys to the suite, Rei entered, and looked around. Everything was silent, aside from the rustle of paper coming from the suite's living room. Curious, the blue-haired girl walked in, peering over the arm chair.

Pen-Pen sat there, reading a magazine.

"..."

Rei turned away, heading to check the others' rooms.

Misato and Shinji weren't there either…

Odd.

Rei went to try the third door… only to find it locked. Since the rooms she'd checked only seemed to lock from the _inside_ , this was promising.

 _*knock knock*_

On the other side of the door, somebody groaned.

"Makinami, are you awake?"

"No," came the indistinct mumble. Rei rolled her eyes, and continued anyways.

"I am in need of assistance. Could you please help me?" she asked.

"Insert tab A into slot B," the Fifth Child grunted. Rei blinked, the expression not being something she'd heard used before.

"That... doesn't help much with my problem."

Mari sighed, and walked up to the door. The door opened part-way, and the Briton stuck her head out.

"Alrighty, what's the trouble, Rei?"

"The Captain and the Third Child aren't here. I'm curious where they've gone to."

"I don't know," she answered. "They left while I was taking a catnap. Given that it's…" the girl paused, looking behind Rei at the clock on the wall. "...Around lunchtime, I'd say that they're _probably_ down getting lunch."

 _~That would make sense,~_ Rei reflected.

 _~Come to think of it,~_ Mari thought to herself. _~I could do with a bite myself. And, well, I'm not sleepin' anymore, so…~_

"Say, Rei..."

The girl in question blinked. Mari pushed open the door a bit more.

"How'd you like to grab some lunch with me? Just see what they've got and whatnot, eh? Maybe see if we can spot Miso and Shinji?"

"... That would be fine."

The Fifth Child grinned, and pumped her fist in the air.

" _Sweet!_ Just let me get the keys and some proper clothes, and we'll be off!"

* * *

JHCI might have been spending most of their money on Jet Alone 2, but they clearly had enough left over to have some good food. Rei was by no means a connoisseur of taste- most of her concerns were on the nutritional value of food and the possible presence of allergens- but she could at least agree with Mari that the cooks knew what they were doing, even if they were having very different dishes; Rei herself was having a plain bowl of rice, while Mari busied herself with a bowl of tempura udon.

As for Shinji and Misato? They either hadn't been there, or they'd finished before Rei and Mari arrived. Whatever the case, they weren't in the dining hall; the only other people there were a few military types from the JSSDF and other countries, and what Rei could only assume were private contractors. An interesting bunch, that came nowhere near to filling up the hall.

Though considering the state of the parking lot, that wasn't exactly surprising.

Shunting that train of thought away, Rei dug back into her rice bowl.

* * *

Meanwhile, Misato had taken Shinji down to the entertainment room, in hopes of wasting an hour or two.

As it turned out, most of said entertainment consisted of fairly old Pre-Impact arcade games. Which the two of them were routinely tying against each-other in. Neither could figure out how, but Shinji couldn't manage a decisive victory over Misato, and Misato couldn't thoroughly trounce Shinji.

"...And we've tied again."

"...Up for a seventh round, Shinji?"

"You know, why not?"

* * *

This was it. The day of the exhibition.

The five (for Pen-Pen would not be left out) sat in the designated NERV seating area, getting a good view of the testing grounds through the massive windows.

Up in front of the windows, Shiro Tokita was speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you may remember the events of two years prior, where our Jet Alone experienced... a rather dire malfunction. You may remember this, and think that the same thing will happen today. You may think that Jet Alone is an untrustworthy robot, completely inferior to the current Anti-Angel weapon; the Evangelions."

Misato raised an eyebrow, almost daring Shiro to challenge her on the latter point.

"I am here with you today to lay those thoughts to rest. _This_ weapon that you will see today is a vast improvement over its ancestor in every way! It is _the_ pinnacle of combative mechatronic engineering, using only the best that JHCI has to offer."

"Ladies and gentlemen," said the man, depressing a button on his pocket remote. "I give you all... **Jet Alone 2**!"

* * *

The massive engineering building split, sliding open on electrical rails to reveal the mech inside. It was, to say the least, impressive.

Standing a full 45 meters tall, Jet Alone 2 retained none of the awkward, lanky, top-heavy proportions of its parent mecha. Instead, the entire robot radiated strength, with broad shoulders, trunk-like legs, and great, box-like arms. The mech was painted a matte grey, with thick sections of maroon, orange, and indigo breaking up the monotony.

The feet were flat and simple looking, nothing more than functional parts. The legs themselves were thick, triple-segmented plates covering the enlarged knee joints. Panels and vents ran along its calves, lying almost flush with the rest of the armour.

JA2's body was far more well-balanced, shaped more like a wedge than a brick atop a soda can. Massive hydraulic rams could be seen under its 'ribs', running down its side before swiftly disappearing under a triple-segmented stomach. The robot's chest came to an edge, reinforced with extra armour like the bow of an icebreaker, while yet more panels lay against its pectoral region. As with the first Jet Alone, JA2 had a boxy 'hump' on its back- but this was far less pronounced, more like a backpack than the ridiculous reactor casing of the first. Nothing at all protruded from the top; no antennae, no handles, no control rods- everything was self-contained safely inside.

The arms were their own affair. Unlike the first, this Jet Alone's arms were far more traditional, without any serpentine segmenting. The limbs started at the shoulders, each capped with a few launcher tubes on its end, before dropping down into the boxy upper arms, and to the even boxier lower arms. Each one was as thick as the robot's legs, capped with a massive piston on the elbow, and a giant hand on the wrist. The hands were thick, and gave the impression that just a single one could crush an Eva's neck with relative ease.

Its head was almost recessed into its body, a thick moving collar surrounding where its neck would be. As the people watched, nine black windows along its 'face' ignited, each shielded camera cluster emitting a soft white glow as the mech started up.

Smoothly, Jet Alone 2 turned its head towards the viewers' building, before the rest of its body twisted to face them. One leg took a cautious step forward, coming down with a thud.

Arms lying at its side, JA2 bowed.

* * *

To say that the audience was stunned would be a misnomer. In fact, a group of cement blocks with faces crudely carved on them would have been more active than most of the people there- not including Shiro and NERV, both of which knew the _real_ reason behind JA's actions.

"..."

"..."

"...well, _that's_ new," someone muttered.

Shiro grinned, and continued his commentary.

"Jet Alone 2's control systems are run by an onboard MAGI-class AI, offering far more competence than the old supercomputer in the first one. This lets the new Jet Alone 2 make complex tactical decisions or execute advanced maneuvers on the fly, letting it compete with a human pilot with ease." Under view of everyone, the mech turned away, and dropped into a combat stance. "Not only that, but Jet Alone 2 runs off a Stellarator, rather than a fission reactor, providing more power, at less risk. It may not have an N2 reactor's extremely high discharge, but it's _far_ safer to operate than one."

"Now, the original Jet Alone prototype was armed only with its fists and feet. This model keeps those, enhances them, and adds several other integrated weapons systems, stored in its chest, shoulders, and legs." Jet Alone opened its stance, offering a view of its chest. The panels on its torso and legs slid open, revealing several auto-cannons, rocket launchers, and what Rei, Mari, and Misato recognized as plasma focusing apertures. "Of course, none of these weapons are currently armed, except for the plasma casters- though that's only due to how they draw their power."

"But Jet Alone is not just built to fight from far away, ladies and gentlemen. No, not at all. Jet Alone 2 is fully equipped for melee combat, and it packs quite the punch!" As if to accentuate this, the panels slid shut, and the mecha threw a blow at the empty air. The motion, Rei reflected as JA2 pivoted into its next punch, was slower than an Eva's, but still incredibly smooth, and well balanced.

Jet Alone 2 continued to deliver a beatdown on the empty air, throwing punches, knees, and even elbow jabs with its massive piston caps. The robot spun a full 180 degrees, and threw an especially forceful blow- only for the piston in its arm to depress, sending its lower arm flying several meters past its normal reach!

A few people turned from the spectacle to face Shiro again.

"Erm, Mr. Tokita, did you add _piston fists_ to your robot?" someone from the JSSDF asked.

"An excellent question, Major. In truth, we did _much more_ than that. We- Captain Katsuragi, is there something you'd like to add?" For Misato had raised her hand as well.

"Yes, actually, I do," she replied. "I'd like to know your plan on dealing with the Angels' AT Fields. And don't even _try_ denying their existence."

Shiro put up his hands.

"Why, Captain, you wound me. I _was_ just about to get to that." Shiro grinned.

"Not only does Jet Alone 2 feature advanced hydraulic systems in each arm, it also mounts a high-energy electromagnetic puncher down the middle of each one, which leads into its palms. We call these weapons 'Impact Hammers'. Each one uses the same DUCT- that's Depleted Uranium Carbide Tungsten for those unfamiliar- alloy found in NERV's Pallet shells, except with a larger size and a different propulsion mechanism. Jet Alone 2's Impact Hammers are able to fire their DUCT bolts at _Mach 3_ ; two of them together have been calculated with a high enough yield to greatly damage one of your Eva's AT Fields, if not outright destroy it. And once weakened, JA2 can simply tear through the field with its bare hands. We've done _many_ calculations."

Well, _that_ was different. Last time, Shiro had simply denied the AT Field's existence, and made some sexist comment about the Evas. Maybe, Misato thought, there was some hope for him after all. It wouldn't be much, but at least he was just an arrogant businessman, rather than a _stupid, sexist,_ and arrogant businessman.

So at least that was a start.

* * *

After a little longer, the entire demonstration was over, and simple discussion began while the mech returned to its hanger. Shiro took questions from everyone, more than happy to answer anything that anyone had to ask; with the resounding success of the demonstration, could you blame his enthusiasm?

.

Of course, what was good news for JHCI was not necessarily good news for NERV.

The fact that Jet Alone 2 seemed to be drawing success meant that funding might get cut from NERV; though, with the Eva Series finally complete, that might not pose as big a threat as it would have two years ago. Still, budget cuts were something that NERV- and Misato especially- would rather not have to deal with. Still, with the entire exhibition having gone by so quickly, there was little she could do about it.

Still, at least the Children were happy.

As they were leaving, Gabriel appeared once more, this time having clothed his telepresence body in a long coat. A card was offered, with contact information- 'just in case', the AI told them, before saying his goodbyes, and heading back into the building.

An interesting few days indeed.


	15. Chapter 015

With the hiss and clang of metal, the locking clamps detached, falling away on hydraulic armatures from their cybernetic captives.

Maya Ibuki sighed to herself, taking a good, long drink of her coffee. The refit teams- which she'd been in charge of- had been busy for a few days, and their schedules' timing was… more than a little straining for the young woman's sleep schedule.

 _~Still,~_ Maya reflected, looking out the plexiglass window, _~At least it's all done with.~_

Unit-00 and Unit-01 stood in their bays, outfitted with their new armour.

The former was dressed in Production-type Plate, having been completely upgraded to match the latest advances in the Eva series. While Unit-00' looked similar to its previous state, a few upgrades were easily noticeable; namely, the enlarged shoulder pylons and a slightly modified helmet that featured four cranial gatlings, rather than the previous two. Another change; rather than orange and white, its armour was a soft grey-blue, with patches of dull grey and deep blue, and dark orange light piping replacing the original green lights.

Unit-01, by comparison, wore the Test-Type Mk II Plate, with next to no changes in its actual structure. The Eva's body armour was a candy-purple-indigo, with swathes of warm black and dark green on its torso and limbs. The old light piping still remained, a soft, but no less vibrant green.

In her numerous years of working with them, Maya had to admit that the Evas were some strange beasts, Unit-01 especially. Even at rest, the young woman could almost swear that the massive, horned cyborg was still aware, looking down on the workers exiting the gantries with the same fascination that a child watches ants.

Lieutenant Ibuki shook her head, and took another deep drink. The Evas might be weird, but that idea was a bit _too_ weird.

 _~I need to stop working so late,~_ Maya thought, as she turned away from the cyborgs.

.

Unknown to her, Unit-01's eye turned slightly as well.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 015: A Blood(less) Red Dawn**

Most who knew Commander Ikari would agree that he was a very intimidating man, with a cold and commanding presence. For the most part, this was accurate. The Commander tended to remain distant from everyone, and retain professionalism in almost every situation.

However, there were a few people that Gendo let down his guard for. One of them was Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki, an old friend of his.

The other was Rei Ayanami. She was... a special case.

And right now, she wanted to talk with him.

"Commander?"

As she usually did, Rei stood before his desk at attention.

"Yes, Rei?" he asked, clasping his fingers intently. The girl's expression didn't change much, but Gendo felt an air of nervousness from her. Troubling indeed.

"I… have a concern," she said. "It revolves around the Evangelions; specifically, Units 00 and 01."

"A concern?" Rei nodded.

"Yes. The last time I piloted, I… convinced Unit-01 to cooperate with me."

"I am unsure if it will continue to maintain that obedience to me."

Gendo nodded. While Rei had performed exceptionally well in Unit-01, the fairly recent Berserker incident and the repeated neural readings detected during her time piloting did _not_ have good connotations.

"And the concern of Unit-00?" he asked. Rei took a breath, and continued.

"If I return to Unit-00… I think I could lose myself in it. Unit-00 reacts well to your… to the Third Child, but it is…"

"It's hard to explain, Commander. Unit-00 won't Berserk out of rage, but it's still… dangerous for me. Does this make sense?" Rei asked.

 _~Ah. She's talking about_ that _.~_

Gendo leaned forwards slightly in his chair.

"Of course it does. However, you still know that you will have to pilot one of them."

"Of course," she repeated. Gendo sat back upright, folding one arm across the other on the table.

"Then I know you'll trust me to make the right decision."

Rei nodded.

"Thank you for seeing me, Commander."

The girl gave a bow, and turned to leave. As the doors to his office closed, Gendo exhaled.

"Back to business it is."

* * *

"Shinji, we need to talk."

The boy practically jumped- ever since the Sixth Angel, he'd been a little more easily startled by things, a trait already wearing thin on the boy. Shinji took a step back, while Gendo thumbed the 'open' button on the elevator. The younger Ikari took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and stepped inside.

"You _really_ didn't need to do that, you know," he muttered under his breath.

"I did nothing out of the ordinary," replied his father, looking straight at the door. "If you wish to blame someone, blame the Angels. Focusing your efforts on destroying them will be far more productive than petty frustration aimed at me."

"..."

Shinji sighed.

" _What_ do you want, Father?"

"What I want is simple. I want you to pilot another Eva."

Shinji raised an eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation as Gendo looked over his shoulder at his son.

"There have been changes to the current scenario. Henceforth, you will be the pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. Rei shall take your place as the pilot of Unit-00."

Well, he wasn't expecting _that_.

"I- Unit-01?" the Third Child asked incredulously.

"Is there a problem?"

"I'm sorry, but... isn't Unit-01 the one that _went berserk and hospitalized Rei for a month?_ "

Gendo looked away.

"That problem has been fixed. You will have no problem controlling the Evangelion."

The elevator dinged as it stopped at a floor. Ending the conversation like that, Gendo exited, leaving Shinji by himself.

The doors shut.

* * *

 _~At least there isn't any real trouble at school,~_ thought Shinji, sitting as the Class Representative finished the standard opening procedure for the class. Other than the news his father had dropped on him yesterday, and the annoying jitters that still persisted after weeks, things were going alright; No Angels had appeared, Mari hadn't said anything particularly flustering to him, and his schoolwork was still pretty good- despite Shinji missing a few days for one reason or another.

At the moment, the class was engaged in math, so he could reasonably assume that neither of his bespectacled associates would be pestering him for at _least_ half an hour or so. Mari might be a born fighter, and Kensuke was practically a genius in regards to anything military, but neither of them were actually particularly good at math- so they'd be plenty occupied.

Shinji, by contrast, had far more trouble with the sciences than he did with calculations like these. Math was pretty easy for him, and this- combined with his occasional tendency to just keep doing things until he was told to stop- meant that the boy usually ended up finishing up earlier than the other students did. It was just how he worked.

* * *

\- _Two days later._

It was happening _again_.

Someone new was coming to Tokyo-3, and they were bringing a giant robot with them. Last time, it had been Mari. _This_ time, it was the Second Child, coming over to provide fighting power. Frankly, if she happened to be _anything at all_ like Makinami… well, Shinji wasn't sure whether he should be glad for the extra support, or scared for his own safety.

Possibly both.

.

He, Misato, and Mari were on a transport helicopter, heading out to meet her out somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, while Rei stayed back with Unit-00' in case the Seventh Angel showed up. Fortunately, Misato wasn't flying the thing.

They sat on opposing sides, Mari and Shinji on one, and Misato on the other.

.

"So, Shinji…"

"Yes?" Came the cautious reply. Mari grinned, scooting a little bit closer.

" _You_ haven't met the Second Child yet, ri~ight?" The boy nodded, wary of anything that the Briton might be trying to pull.

Mari's grin softened, becoming something far less toothy than usual, though still _exceedingly_ enthused.

"Oh, _goody!"_ The girl clasped her hands, holding them to her chest with excitement. "We can get you two all introduced and _everything!_ It'll be _great!_ " she said, with almost childlike- perhaps _Fifth_ _Child_ like?- glee. "Oh, this'll be _brilliant_!"

"Sounds like _someone's_ got a _crush_ ~" came the teasing tone of Misato's voice.

The Fifth Child's mirth comes to an awkward halt, tripping over itself in confusion and embarrassment.

"M- _Miso!_ " the girl twisted, turning to face her guardian with a mortified expression. "H-how did- I mean, what are you- I-"

.

 _~Huh,~_ a corner of Shinji's mind couldn't help but think. _~That's new. Usually_ I'm _the one stammering and blushing at Misato's words._ ~

* * *

If there was a fault to Mari's mind, it would have to be either her overactive imagination, or her tendency for her thoughts to run away with her.

That or the masochism. But that wasn't so much a flaw as it was a quirk.

.

As it happened, Mari _had_ caught herself in a particularly… appealing series of thoughts, and lost her cool as a result when Misato'd brought it up.

 _~C'mon, Mari!~_ the brunette thought to herself, embarrassed. _~'s just been three months, and you chat_ all the time _. Can't keep yourself in one f-goddamn piece when your… when_ she _comes up? Really?!~_

The girl shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

.

"...Ha ha, Miso. _V-very_ funny," Mari pouted, before the vehicle lurched. She blinked, before turning to the window on the side. A fleet of vessels lay out beneath them, interconnected by massive cables and wires.

Misato blinked, and looked out her own window.

.

"...We're here _already_?" the woman wondered aloud, as the helicopter descended towards the massive carrier in the center of the fleet- the _Over the Rainbow_ , Mari remembered. "That's odd. Thought they'd have radio'd in or something."

The cargo heli set down gently, releasing its pallet-carried umbilical cable onto the deck. The door opened, a stairway folding out for the occupants. The three stepped out, blinking in the harsh sunlight.

"Misato! Four-eyes!" someone calls, clipped accent cutting through the sea air. Mari _knows_ that voice. She turns towards it, a giddy smile resurfacing.

"Princess!"

* * *

Shinji's head turned, tracking the direction of the voice. Whomever he'd been expecting to see _wasn't_ her.

The Second Child- at least, he _assumed_ she was, given that someone her age would have no other reason to be onboard a ship like this- was, to say the least, _stunning_. Shinji was perfectly comfortable admitting that to himself. The days of sea salt and sun didn't seem to have left any sort of mark- the most he was aware of was an almost grid-like pattern of faint white scarring running up her bare arms; he would have guessed a sympathetic wound from the Eva, considering Mari had the same markings, albeit more scabby and red than this girl's were.

Of course, the rest of her was a lot to take in all by itself; the fierce blue eyes, the virtual wave of golden-blonde hair that hung back in a loose ponytail, the sheer confidence in her posture.

And then her gaze turned to him. An eyebrow rose, the smile dimming a little.

"...and _you_ are?"

The boy blinked.

"Oh, um, me?" he asked without thinking, before common sense reminded that it's _obviously him_. "I'm… Ikari. Ikari Shinji. Third Child."

"Mm," the girl grunts in affirmation, before the smile starts to come back. "Well, _I'm_ Asuka. Asuka Langley Sohryu. Nice to see that I'll have someone _beyond_ just Four-Eyes watching my back."

" _Priiinceeeess..."_ Mari fake-pouts in reply. Asuka smirked, sticking her tongue out teasingly.

"Nyeh!"

The action itself was kind of ridiculous, coming from the girl. Mari couldn't keep the pout up, cracking a grin at her fellow pilot's actions. Shinji couldn't help but smile as well, and Misato wasn't even trying to hide hers.

Asuka chuckled, folding her arms across her chest.

"Alright then. _Wir sind alle gut?_ " she asked. "Ready to go in?"

"Actually," Misato said, drawing their attention. "There's _one_ thing I'd like to know first."

"Shoot."

Misato took a breath.

"I noticed a _few_ weird things on the way here, Asuka. Like how we weren't hailed in the helicopter, even when we should have been; or how the fleet's apparently decided to tether themselves together. I'd kind of like an explanation."

"Oh, _that?_ " Asuka replied, smile dying down again. "Easy."

.

"That's the _Angel_ 's doing."


	16. Chapter 016

"That's the _Angel's_ doing."

.

The words struck all of them, grins fading away in an instant.

"...Angel?"

" _Ja_ ," Asuka replied, eyes narrowing. "Angel. Showed up two days ago, and started jamming our radio with its AT Field. We haven't been able to outrun the bastard and contact anyone, and it hasn't gotten close enough where I can kill it with my Unit-02." A slight smirk perked up at the edge of her mouth. "Luckily, _you guys_ are here."

All three blinked, confused. Asuka sighed, and motioned for them to follow her, heading towards the door.

"Come on, I'll explain on the way."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 016: Blood(less) Red Sun**

"I've been talking with Mr. Kaji for a bit, and we came up with something," explained Asuka, leading them down a hallway. Misato, several steps behind, furrowed her brow, while Mari simply arched an eyebrow.

"Wait, _Kaji_ 's here?"

"Kaji _again_ , Princess?"

"Oh, calm your tits, Four-Eyes. He's my _Gott verdammt_ guardian. Of _course_ we talk sometimes," the Second Child snorted, brushing off the topic. "Anyways, we had a plan." Reaching a certain door, Asuka knocks a few times, and glances behind her.

"Four Eyes, Ikari, you two are going to be _Angel bait_."

.

"...What."

"What?!"

The door opened, and a scruffy, ponytailed man stuck his head out.

"Asuka, what are you-" the man pauses, noticing the older woman. "Ah. Katsuragi."

Ryoji Kaji, legal guardian of the Second Child and Chief Inspector to Nerv-02, cracked a grin.

"I wasn't expecting to see _you_ quite so soon.~"

" _Kaaaji!_ Flirt with your ex _later_ , we've got _plans!_ "

* * *

As Asuka explained it, the idea had- as much as she'd hated to admit it- been partially inspired by something the Provisional Second- another pilot that Shinji apparently hadn't heard of before- had mentioned.

Every human projected an AT Field; that was how everyone stayed in their shape. The difference was that _Eva Pilots_ had their fields enhanced from regular exposure to the Evas. If human souls were candles, Childrens' souls were _spotlights_.

This came in with one of the hypothesized abilities of the Angels; AT-sense. One common theory in NERV was that the Angels could locate the 'glow' of a living thing's soul, and map its surroundings with it. If this ended up being true, then the three of them together on this one boat would be a _big, fat, shiny lure_.

Still, the Seventh was a cautious beast. It didn't rush immediately to locate them- especially not after they'd clipped it with one of the fleet's atomic railguns. It'd probably be about an hour, if not more, before the Angel dared come closer to investigate. But when it did...

.

"...then _that's_ when I'll activate Unit-02, and gut that _verdammt_ fish!" Asuka concluded triumphantly, pumping her fist. The group hadn't actually headed to the bridge yet- Asuka figured that the ship's crew might not exactly appreciate her plan to _lure a monster the size of an aircraft carrier into the middle of the fleet_.

Everyone agreed on that point, even if they _were_ a little hesitant about acting as a lure for such a beast.

* * *

The Roaring Beast of God swam, black eyes glittering in the depths. Something had changed. The Light of Her Soul was no longer unchallenged in brightness. _Something_ aboard the Lilin craft, though still insignificant, shone brighter than the others.

A challenger? The Angel was not the best hunter for nothing.

No, she would be cautious. It would not do to act rashly. Make sure that the challenge is of no threat, and _then_ obliterate it.

A tail longer than a battleship twitched, propelling the vast bulk of sky grey flesh forwards.

Those who challenged Gaghiel had rarely lived long enough to regret it.

.

The Angel was back on the hunt.

.

* * *

"Well, at least you're _here_ , even _if_ it's not going to help with our little Angel problem," Admiral Thompson grunted, leaning back in his chair. "I take it that after all this, you'll finally be taking that damned cyborg off our hands at last?"

"Yes sir," Misato replied.

"Good," the man nodded. "Now, all we need to deal with is the Angel. _Unfortunately_ , that's the hard part. It's too fast for us to outrun, and too-"

"-far away to attack back," the woman finished. "The Second Child explained it to us."

"Yes… well, then you understand; we either have to draw the Angel close enough to fire on, or slow it down long enough to make a break for it. Otherwise, we're sitting ducks out here," Thompson said. "I've got our top strategists working on a solution as we speak."

Misato nodded.

 _~So do we, Admiral. So do we.~_

* * *

Technically, that wasn't correct; Asuka had already finished the plan. Now she was just filling up the forty five minutes until the Angel arrived. Seeing as she'll have plenty of time to see what the deal is with the Third Child, Asuka had decided to catch up on things with her fellow Euro Pilot. After all, she needs _something_ to do.

And there's something she hasn't done in a _long_ time...

.

* * *

There are a lot of things to like about Mari. She's loyal, bold, and protective, all things that she values. She's good enough at her job to offer a consistent challenge. And she can actually match her wit.

But one of the best things about the girl, in her opinion, is just how _warm_ she is. It's like being hugged by a space heater. A soft, squishy space heater who- while _very_ physically fulfilling in _every other_ way - has shoulders that are just a _bit_ too bony for Asuka's comfort.

.

"... Four-Eyes."

"Yes?" the Briton purrs, eyes closed with contentment. Of _course_ she's happy; Mari always is.

"Your stupid shoulder's jabbing me in the windpipe," Asuka grunts.

The bright yellow fabric rumples and shifts, as Mari moves her arms down a few more centimeters. The offending joint retracts from Asuka's throat.

" _Better_ , Princess?"

"... yeah," she mumbles. "That's… that's good." The brunette sighs, content.

"Mmmmm… I missed you, Princess."

Asuka nodded, tightening her grip.

"Missed you too, Four-Eyes."

* * *

 _That_ was relaxing.

Half an hour of… well, of _cuddling_ , of all things, had done wonders for both Children's mental states; it didn't take a genius to figure out that this was a good thing when going up against a carrier-sized Hell-shark. Mari was _very_ affectionate, and her general attitude had rubbed off a little bit on the Second Child.

"Four-Eyes?" Asuka asked, walking down the metal hallway to the retrofitted Eva hanger. She'd decided to change early, so there'd be ample time to get ready.

"Mmhm?"

"No blabbing. Not one word."

"Oh, but of _course_ , my Princess. I wouldn't want to risk losing my favor-"

 _[Shut it, Four-Eyes],_ the Second Child replied, switching over to her native tongue. Mari couldn't speak German to save her life, but it wasn't a hard message to guess.

Mari shut up.

* * *

 _Shwip._

The air rushed out of the plugsuit, causing the entire outfit to compress to perfectly fit her body. The 02 plugsuit, much like the 05 model, featured built in trauma plates around its torso, a flexible internal skeleton, and ego stabilizers that kept the body's integrity even in the case of a hypothetical triple-digit synch score. It was a deep maroon, with crimson and orange plating and black detail work.

And, as Mari had pointed out a few times, it really showed off her figure. Though that _didn't really_ matter at the moment.

Asuka didn't bother with the A10 clips- she already had them on, and kept them as such in case of an emergency.

The other two Children were waiting for her outside; Kaji and Misato were busy with other work.

Asuka Langley Sohryu flashed a smile at them. This was it; the plan was in full swing.

"Alright then!" Her hand shifts, planting confidently on her hip. "You two stay inside- preferably somewhere with a good view. Then you can see what my Unit-02's _really_ capable of!"

Manual startup is nothing fancy. Evas weren't intended to launch solo, so the sequence was made as simple as possible in case the pilot had to activate their unit in an emergency.

Not like Asuka _needed_ it to be simplified; she knew her Unit-02 like the back of her hand.

 _[First stage, activate. Set plug depth at 2 meters],_ Asuka said, holding the control grips tightly. _[Begin LCL ionization.]_

The orange fluid crackled, before turning translucent as the static charge swept through it. Asuka took another breath of the stuff, settling further into her saddle.

 _[First stage successful,]_ she muttered, the instruments on the plug's dashboard blinking green. _[_ _Prepping for secondary stage connections. Set neural language to German.]_

The creases in the plug walls flicker, a rainbow of light bleeding through the seams. Holograms pop into existence, orbiting the girl's head.

 _[Secondary stage successful. Activate final stage connections in three… two… one… now!]_

The walls shatter, rings of colour flying past as wriggling white nerves grasp at the saddle. The Eva's mind awakens, its piercing gaze present at the back of Asuka's skull, looking through her eyes as she looks through its.

The framework solidifies, panels showing a view of the hanger's interior. One of the holograms blinks, displaying a readout. Asuka grins.

 _[Final stage successful. Synchro holding at 86.7%.]_

 _._

 _[Evangelion Unit-02 has activated.]_

* * *

Out in the ocean, the Angel swam.

For a second, she sensed something even stronger than the others, before it faded back down. _That_ was interesting.

The Angel's tail lashed, propelling her closer and closer.

Whatever this challenge was, Gaghiel would surely defeat it.

* * *

Shinji and Mari had taken to the bridge to meet up with Misato. The woman snuck over to them, and raised an eyebrow.

"Asuka?"

"She's ready," answered Shinji.

Misato grinned.

"Great. How much longer?"

"Should only be a few minutes or so. With Unit-02 active, the Angel should-"

His voice is cut off by several alarms going off at once. Crew members shout from their stations, looking over their shoulders at the man in charge.

"Admiral, the Eva Unit is active!"

"Controls on hanger bay seven have been overridden! It's opening on its own!"

"Sir, the Angel's just reached our line of sight!"

The man twists, and barks out a single word.

" _What?!"_

.

They could see it, only a couple kilometers from the edge of the fleet. The Angel.

Gaghiel, even half submerged, was still the largest Angel anyone had seen. Over three hundred meters from snout to tail, the Roaring Beast of God was covered in sky grey scales, with glossy black fin membranes skimming just under the surface of the water. It resembled a fusion of a shark and an eel, albeit a truly massive one. Two dots, white and red, winked on top of its head- had any of the trio had a pair of binoculars, they would have seen that these were bony masks, eerily similar to the Fourth Angel's.

Thundering towards the _Over the Rainbow_ , the Angel breached the surface, toothy mouth opening in a thunderous howl! Frantically, radio lines were cut between ships, falling into the sea as the vessels raised their semaphores and morse lights instead. The fleet spread apart, not wanting to be in the way of a bloodthirsty Angel-

-but before they could notice anything else, something caught everyone's eyes. The front of the _Over the Rainbow's_ deck was slowly opening up, a massive, cloaked figure rising up out of the depths!

A pair of finned shoulders shrugged, dropping the tarpaulin to the deck.

* * *

Evangelion Production-Type Unit-02 Beta Model, to use its full name, was _impressive_.

Over forty meters and fifteen thousand tonnes of maroon and crimson cyborg, armour plating etched with bright orange and white lines stood on the deck, arms crossed determinedly over its angular chest. Bulky sub-pylons were locked solidly into each limb, wrapping around the arms and legs with bands of titanium plate. The two main pylons stood straight up, an array of vents and thrusters protruding just behind the shoulder mounts. A set of triple turbines- explained to the other pilots as part of the Eva's C-Type Aeronautical Maneuvering gear- sprouted just under the cyborg's primary rocket engines, their blades spinning up to speed. Topping this all off was Unit-02's helmet; a boxy shaped chunk of armour with a protruding chin and four green eyes that burned like fire.

Clouds of steam snorted out of the nostril holes of Unit-02's helmets, the Eva shifting in its spot just slightly. Its arms unfolded, splaying back as the biomech moved into a runner's crouch.

* * *

Asuka grinned.

"This is it…"

"Now! Unit-02! _Let's do this!"_

* * *

The Eva pushed off, charging straight across the deck! The thrusters and C-Type turbines ignited, launching Unit-02 off the edge of the ship like a rocket!

Water sprayed up around the crimson mecha, boiling into steam as the two charged each other. Gaghiel leaped out of the water, jaws gaping to bite down on the Eva- in reply, Unit-02's rockets flared, the mech jumping up to drive its sharpened kneecap into the Angel's unarmoured throat! Four hundred meters of alien shark crashed side-first into the sea, as the Eva twisted away from its scaly bulk. The C-Type turbines whirred, bringing Unit-02 to a halt above the waves.

The Angel thrashed, righting itself for a return strike!

Unit-02 thrusted to one side- but Gaghiel twisted mid air, catching the Eva with the edges of its jaw! In seconds, the red Eva was yanked off-balance, dragged alongside the Angel. Just before the monster bit down, Asuka noticed something- Gaghiel's teeth had extended, wrapping around Unit-02's arm with fleshy tendrils, and digging in with their serrated edge-

.

The mouth slammed shut.

* * *

Even through the glass, they could hear the howl. Even held fast by the high-tech armour, Unit-02 screamed its pain as its arm was mangled by the Angel.

.

Asuka's arm burned in the plugsuit, feedback from her top-level synchronization transmitting everything that her mech felt into her nerves. The girl's face contorted, lips drawing back into a snarl.

"D-Dragon Fangs!" Asuka spat, firing off the neural command.

Unit-02's right arm swung out, hand splaying. Each of the fingertips slid open, five serrated claws jutting out from the ends! The Dragon Fangs were meant to be used for climbing- but that didn't mean that they weren't weapons anyways.

Blue blood stained the Angel's hide, as the Fangs ripped through what little of its AT Field the Angel could spare, and tore into its snout!

"That's what you get for wasting your strength on _fucking boats!"_ the Second Child roared, as Unit-02 shoved its hand deeper into the Angel's wounded head!

Gaghiel roared back, thrashing and lashing-

...before slamming its left side into a battleship.

.

The vessel didn't stand a chance, practically falling to pieces around Unit-02 and the Angel. The two separated, leaving the red Eva lying in the rapidly sinking wreck of the battleship. Blue blood gushing from the tear in the side of its face, Gaghiel turns away, swimming back towards the _Over the Rainbow_ \- though far slower than before.

* * *

"…"

"Ugh…" Asuka groaned,rubbing her temples. "Stupid Angel… that one _hurt_." Blue eyes opened, focusing on the flickering screen.

"Alright, just have to-" Asuka started, before noticing the flashing red alarm orbiting her head. The C-Type equipment, unprotected by her Eva's AT Field, hadn't survived the collision. With no functioning C-Type…

...There was nothing keeping Asuka and Unit-02 afloat.

" _Schiesse!"_

The girl's eyes widened, instinctively grabbing out for something. Unit-02's hand closed around a chunk of metal- only for the slab of deck to give way under its weight! The ruined battleship couldn't support the crimson cyborg any longer, falling to pieces and plunging the pilot and her mech into the ocean! Unit-02 kicked and pulled- but to no avail.

With a very real fear tugging at her heartstrings, Asuka Langley Sohryu and Unit-02 sank; down, down, down, into the cold Pacific Ocean.


	17. Chapter 017

When Eva Unit-02 disappeared under the waves, struggling to stay afloat, Mari's heart sank like a stone. Evas weren't built to operate underwater without extensive equipment… which meant that Unit-02 would sink to the bottom of the ocean, without an external power feed of any kind. Sure, low power mode could let its internal systems work for up to about three days, but after that…

.

Mari didn't want to think of what would happen.

Unfortunately, she noted, her Princess wasn't the _only_ one in danger of being sent to a watery grave. The Angel had turned around, and was heading towards them, the bloody wound across its face staining the sky grey flesh with blue.

The Admiral gave the command to open fire, sending waves of firepower sloppily crashing into the Angel. Orange planes flashed in and out of existence, the Angel's diminished AT Field still rendering it completely impervious to the fleet's guns, even as it continued to jam their communications.

Relentlessly, Gaghiel closed in, four empty eye sockets staring at the bridge.

At the Children.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 017: You Are (Not) Going to Die**

It was Misato who acted first, grabbing the two by their wrists and pulling. The Children stumbled, though Shinji was quick to respond. Kaji followed soon after, briefcase in hand. Engrossed in combatting the approaching Angel, nobody else noticed their exit.

.

"Katsuragi!"

The woman slowed momentarily, glancing over her shoulder. Kaji huffed, catching up to them. Any trace of the easygoing, good natured attitude he'd showed was gone; now, the inspector didn't have a single hint of humour on his face.

"Head right at the next corridor, it'll take you to the VTOL hanger. Once you get out of the jamming bubble, contact the commander, and tell him about the Angel."

"What about you? What about _Asuka_?" she replied.

"I'll do a flyover of the site, just in case she's ejected. Even if she hasn't, Asuka's a smart girl, she'll come up with something. Don't worry, I'll be right behind you!"

With that, Kaji turned, heading down a separate passageway. Misato gritted her teeth, looking back at the path in front of them.

* * *

The engines roared, lifting the boxy aircraft away. Misato had taken the pilot's seat, and set Shinji in the copilot's; of the two Eva pilots she had left, he seemed to have a more stable head on his shoulders than Mari. As they flew away from the fleet, Misato's thoughts turned to the girl. The girl herself had been uncharacteristically quiet in their escape, strapping herself into one of the passenger seats without so much as a remake. Misato knew that the Second and Fifth Children had known each other for a while, and that the girl took her friendships very seriously, but this was…

...Actually, when Misato thought about it, the girl's reaction to this was _perfectly_ reasonable; it was just due to the fact that Mari didn't usually take _anything_ with this sort of seriousness that was throwing her off.

Still, it'd be for the best if she just let Mari cool off for a while.

Turning her focus back in front of her, the woman clenched the controls, leaning the yolk forwards. The engines rotated further, increasing the craft's speed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could barely spot the lone harrier circling above the fleet; Kaji conducting his search for Asuka.

Hopefully it'd all work out.

* * *

Nothing had worked.

.

The C-type was broken, manual swimming couldn't overcome Unit-02's weight in any meaningful way, and the rockets had burnt out a minute ago. Now her Eva was sinking, falling to the bottom of the ocean with no means of escape, save rescue.

But Asuka _still_ kept her composure. After all, it wouldn't do to have a panic attack or something at this point. She just had to stay calm. At the very least, she still had almost her entire twenty minute battery le-

" _Warning. C-type power reserves have been fully depleted,"_ reported the computer. _"Ejecting extraneous equipment. Evangelion Unit-02 is now operating on internal battery power. Ten minutes of operational time remaining."_

... _shit_.

Eyes widening in horror, the redhead slammed her fist down on a button, switching her Eva to low-power mode. The 00:10:00 timer flickered, rearranging itself to 36:00:00, before it resumed its countdown. As non-essential systems shut down, the Eva's limbs became heavy, and the cyborg fell limp in the water. Asuka's breathing slowed for a second. With low-power mode active, she'd be able to survive for a day and a half until rescue arrived. That should be enough time for someone to come. Even if they didn't, she could still eject hers-

" _Warning,"_ the computer chimed in. _"External pressure has exceeded Entry Plug tolerances. For the pilot's safety, the Entry Plug's ejection system has been completely disabled."_

.

"...n-no…"

Her breaths quickened, catching in her throat. She was stuck here. The Eva wouldn't work. The Plug wouldn't eject. The Angel was up there. The fleet was probably already gone. It was going to come for her. Going to come, and she'd be defenseless. Even… even _if_ rescue came, it'd be there. If… if they _didn't_ come… if they _didn't_ get to her in time…

She was going to die.

"N-no, I can't. I can't be stuck here. I can't-"

Her heart throbbed, shaky breaths speeding up. Through her synchronization with Unit-02, Asuka could start to feel the overpowering cold of the sea, gnawing away at her nerves.

Even… even _if_ the Angel didn't do her in, Asuka was still going to _die_. The life support would give out, and that'd be it. With barely a struggle, she'd be gone.

Here.

Alone.

At the bottom of the ocean.

All by herself, with not one single person as company.

And why?

All because she'd _failed_.

"I-"

She couldn't kill the Angel.

She couldn't win the battle.

She couldn't save the fleet.

"I…"

She couldn't even save _herself_.

" _Warning. The-"_

Asuka screamed, and drove her fist into the console.

* * *

.

"...and then Inspector Kaji insisted on staying behind, on the off chance that the Second Child had ejected," Misato finished. "We… haven't been contacted by him yet."

The pixelated image of Commander Gendo Ikari frowned.

" _This is… troubling. Eva Unit-02 was expected to be a valuable addition to our forces; losing it, especially against an Angel, will have serious political ramifications."_

From the copilot's seat, Shinji stared. Gendo, projected on both screens, had no problem noticing the boy's expression.

" _Of course... the loss of the Second Child would have a devastating effect on morale; which should go without saying. The death of an Eva pilot is something that we should... try to avoid."_ Gendo cleared his throat.

" _With that said, we are outfitting Unit-00' for underwater combat, and a Delta-Wing has already been prepared. JHCI has offered the usage of their 'Jet Alone 2', as a… show of peace. We have decided to_ accept _said offer on this occasion."_

The small smile on the commander's face might have been a little worrisome- if Shinji wasn't so relieved. Rei and Gabriel would be there soon, and they'd save Asuka. _Yes_ , he hadn't known her for very long, but Mari seemed to like her- even if the girl _was_ crazy, she was a pretty good judge of character- not to mention that Shinji wouldn't wish death by drowning at the bottom of the ocean on _anyone_ , _especially_ not someone he'd just met. Even if he hadn't liked Asuka that would just be obscenely petty of him.

His father's transmission ended, as Shinji pulled out the VTOL's operation manual, looking through it for a certain control. It wasn't too hard, and soon his fingers met the button.

"Um… testing, testing?" he asked into the receiver. A mumble on the other end confirmed that the intercom worked. "Hey, Mari? I've got some news that you might be interested in."

* * *

 _Rrrrrrrroooommhh..._

The Delta Wing's engines rose to a roar, before being drowned out by the thunder of its solid rocket boosters. The eighty-meter-wide aircraft shuddered, picking up speed as it slowly, slowly climbed into the sky. Clamped to the underside was Eva Unit-00', outfitted with M-type equipment and a storage container.

As the Eva flew away, stomping could be heard coming down the runway. Thundering along the road came Jet Alone 2, a massive arrangement of wings and rockets sprouting from its back. The modified S-type gear activated, the giant robot leaping into the air after Unit-00!

Both of them aloft, the odd duo soared out towards the ocean, ready to fight.

* * *

"Dammit, dammit, _dammit!"_ Asuka cried, punctuating each word with a punch to the plug's wall. Unit-02 had hit the ocean floor hours ago, hammering home just how _trapped_ she was here even further. To say that it wasn't doing Asuka's state of mind any good in the slightest would be like saying that the Pacific Ocean was big and wet; a massive understatement.

The only thing remotely comforting was the fact that the Angel hadn't attacked her yet.

 _~Probably because it knows I'm not a threat to it anymore,~_ Asuka reflected glumly, letting her hand slide down the wall. The girl glanced towards the front of the plug, where the timer slowly ticked down. Just over thirty hours were left until her Eva's power supply ran dry, and life support shut down. Doing the math, the girl easily translated that to about eight minutes of power in combat mode, probably less due to the dense medium she lay in. If the Angel actively wanted her dead, it'd just have to survive the eight minutes and she'd end up killing herself. It wouldn't be hard, not the way she was right now.

"Pathetic…" she muttered, shifting back into the center of the plug. The girl wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm against the cold seeping in. Still, what little resolve, what little drive she had left was slowly fading. "Dying from a stupid mistake you couldn't undo… _good job_ , Asuka."

"Good job going out _just like your m_ -"

Something struck Unit-02, jolting it abruptly. The Second Child's words cut off in a startled yelp, as she was knocked into the plug wall. Eyes widened, hopelessness turning into dread.

"The _Angel?!"_

Almost reflexively, Unit-02 responded, shuddering frantically despite barely having enough power to move. The screens flickered, rushing to form an image as the Eva came out of low-power mode.

Unit-02's spotlights came on, illuminating the massive blue-plated cyborg towering over her fallen Eva. The bulbous orange pods of M-type equipment were dotted across its body, and a hexagonal storage container was tucked under one arm.

Her breathing quivered, heartbeat slowing from the blind panic it had worked itself into.

"A… a rescue? T-they sent an Eva?" Even saying it aloud, she could hardly believe it.

The console, cracked and flickering, beeped. An incoming transmission. Without hesitation, she thumbed the 'accept' button, a small rectangular holo marked 'EVA-00 KAI - SOUND ONLY' popping up.

" _Pilot Sohryu,"_ came the whisper soft voice of the First Child, the blue-grey cyborg kneeling down to look Unit-02 camera-to-camera. _"Are you unharmed?"_

.

A choking sound pried itself from the girl's throat, scratchy and depleted. Unit-00 tilted its head in concern.

" _...Pilot Sohryu? Is that… a negative? I cannot see your face, are you alright?"_

Unit-02 dropped its head, tilting its helmet side to side slightly in response. Speaking was… just too much for her at this point.

" _Pilot Sohryu?"_

Asuka swallowed, and nodded.

" _I have with me a pair of external battery packs and a floater. You are to equip these items to your Eva, and ascend to the surface. I will escort you until surfacing, but after that you_ must _keep yourself and your Eva out of harm's way. Under_ no _circumstances are you to attempt combat with the Angel. This is an_ order _from headquarters; do you understand, Pilot Sohryu?"_

No revenge. No second chance. Just run away, and don't get hurt. Let the others deal with your failure. Even if it's the most reasonable option, the insult still leaves its mark on Asuka's pride.

But she doesn't have any other options, and she doesn't have any more fight left in her.

"...y-yes…" she muttered to the holo.

Unit-00' nodded back, and popped open the container's lid, releasing a flurry of bubbles. The Eva grabbed two long rectangles with one hand, and swam around, clamping the batteries to the back of Unit-02's pylons. The timer, having dropped to four minutes, rises back up with each pack; 00:19:00, 00:34:00, before it begins counting down again.

The bright orange floater is easy enough to attach, wrapping around Unit-02's torso. The other Eva yanks a handle, releasing the compressed gas into the garment and lowering its density.

As the red cyborg floats up towards the surface, followed by the swimming blue one, Asuka leans over, and puts her head in her hands.

* * *

The two reached the surface, splashing as they bobbed out of the water. Unit-00' grabbed its fellow Eva, paddling towards a half sunken ship that looked intact enough to hold the red Eva for a while. Unit-02 tried to assist, though waterlogged and with a single working arm, it didn't make much of a difference. Reaching the vessel quickly, Rei released the other unit, and swam off.

.

Unit-00' functioned well, thanks to the recent upgrades. The blue Eva clamoured aboard a shredded battleship, looking around for-

There it was. Gaghiel. Or rather, what Gaghiel had turned into.

.

The Angel was wrapped in a cage of steel, reconstructed from about half of the fleet. Its neck had elongated grotesquely, the sky grey flesh stretching into a stalk that rose above its body, ending in the double masks that had been its face.

The Angel's body had stretched even further, its mouth and tail having merged into a tooth-studded ovoid that hung down like a pendulum. Its fins grew outwards, serving as hubs for the two massively tall metal legs it had formed, each balancing on an AT Field that stretched over the water.

As Rei watched, Gaghiel's eye sockets flashed, sending twin beams cutting through the sky. The tiny shape of JA2 dodged, releasing yet more missiles at the mutated Angel, only for them to burst ineffectively against its AT Field.

Rei turned away, focusing on the three other containers embedded in the ruined deck.

Popping the lid off one, the Eva reached in, and pulled out a bullpup rifle, cradling it under her arm as she long jumped over to another, closer ship.

Jet Alone crashed down on a third boat, S-type harness steaming.

" _Rei, I'm drawing its attention. Shoot it while its AT Field's occupied,"_ Gabriel's synthesized voice said over the comms, as Jet Alone unfolded its weapons systems, and opened fire! Bolts of boiling plasma, clouds of bullets, and swarms of missiles erupted from the robot, forcing Gaghiel to focus its AT Field to block the attacks.

"Roger, Gabriel. Opening fire."

Rei raised her rifle, centering it on the Angel's throat. The crosshairs tightened… now!

The MM-99 Pallet Rifle barked three times, launching off a three-shot burst of gyrojet shells! The rocket-propelled bullets accelerated, aiming for the Angel's neck. The first hit the AT Field, the second as well, but the third tore through the remains, blowing a chunk out of the being's flesh! Gaghiel rumbled, second mask turning to face the Eva.

.

Instantly, Rei took off down the ship, feet leaving craters in the ruined hull. Twin beams of light slashed overhead, barely deflecting off Unit-00's AT Field. The Eva fired burst after burst, tearing at the framework of the Angel's neck. Blue blood sprayed, staining the metallic web that grew up around it as the Eva leaped from ship to ship.

Howling in frustration and pain, Gaghiel's counterweight split open, a swarm of bone-tipped tendrils spilling out! The spikes launched, splitting in two directions! On the far ship, Jet Alone's fire cut off, the mecha leaping back into the sky before the bone darts tore the vessel's remnants to scrap metal. Unit-00' turned and jumped, diving into the sea. The darts punched through the ship and into the water, a few slicing into the cyborg's calves. Rei winced; her synch ratio was significantly higher in Unit-00' than it had been in Unit-01, so while she could control it better, she also felt its pain a lot more. Orange blood leaked from several cuts along the Eva's legs, the salty sea burning its way in.

Rei pushed down the pain, and kicked the M-type into full power, sending Unit-00' dashing under the surface.

* * *

 _Shink!_

Stay out of the fight.

 _Chink!_

Don't get hurt.

 _Shink!_

Orders from headquarters.

 _Chink!_

Yeah, _no._

 _Shink!_

.

Asuka grunted, Unit-02 groaning as it dragged its heavy, damaged body up the side of the vessel. The journey up had been just as damaging as the descent, and the pressure-fracture lines through her Eva's armour ached like she'd run a marathon through freezing cold rain. One arm hung dead by the cyborg's side, occasionally sending a jolt of pain up her own when it bumped into the hull of the ship. Thankfully, the Dragon Fangs still worked, five sprouting from the ends of each of Unit-02's three functioning limbs.

Eventually, the girl dragged herself to the deck, letting Unit-02 collapse there for a few minutes. Asuka took a few shuddering breaths, slumping in the plug saddle. Hearing the rapid burst and whine of weapons fire, the Second Child glanced to the side.

"Oh _Gott_ what the hell."

The monstrosity that Gaghiel became howled, firing its bone tendrils at Unit-00' and Jet Alone 2. They both escaped intact, but the vessels they'd been on didn't. A hexagonal container on Unit-00's ship was struck- and exploded in a shockwave of purple fire, throwing shrapnel everywhere. Only one thing could have gone off so volatilely.

 _~A positron weapon?! What id-~_ Unfortunately, Asuka's thoughts were cut off, as the final container smashed into the deck a few meters from her Eva's head. The impact cracked the container, a dark red shape glinting within.

Asuka's eyes narrowed, scanning the item.

.

"...that'll work."

* * *

Rei threw her Eva out of the water in a spin, rolling onto another ship deck. Jet Alone was back in the air, losing the occasional burst of fire against Gaghiel. Rei lifted her pallet gun, firing off another gyrojet spray! The rocket-propelled shells smashed into Gaghiel's AT Field, but couldn't pierce through. Rei pulled the trigger again…

 _Clack._

.

Unit-00' glanced down, and pulled the trigger gain. Nothing; the rifle was out of ammo.

" _Rei?"_ Gabriel asked, maneuvering their body around another line of darts.

"The pallet rifle is out of ammunition, and the Type-20 was destroyed," Rei answered, easily interpreting the rest of the question. "I _do_ have the flechette pistol, however- though it will not be very accurate at this range." The Eva dropped the spent rifle, drawing out a simplistic handgun from its shoulder pylon.

" _Just try and get closer,"_ the AI replied. _"I'll keep the Angel's at-"_ Gaghiel's eyes flashed, and this time they didn't miss. The eye-beams sliced into the mech's arm, and slashed across its head, burning lines in the armour! Metal squealed, the heavy arm ripping itself clean from the damaged section! Unbalanced, Jet Alone 2 fell into a spiraling dive, S-type equipment firing frantically in order to slow its descent! The mech barely pulled up in time, crashing into a deck and rolling down the length. Thrusters and fins snapped off under the robot's weight, before JA finally came to a stop, its flight harness almost completely destroyed.

Rei took a sharp breath in as her backup crashed, before whipping her gaze back to Gaghiel. The Angel's neck tilted, barely held upright by the frame. But it was still mostly in one piece, and she was down to her last gun. After this, all Rei would have left was Unit-00's integrated weapons- and she doubted they'd be effective at this range.

The girl raised her Eva's arm, firing off a snap shot from the flechette pistol. The bird masks turned, the red and the white glaring down at Unit-00'. Octagons of orange light sprang up to meet each shot, halting them in their flight before they reached it.

Creaking and squealing came again, the metal-built legs flexing as they strode towards the blue figure. Its tendrils retracted, bunching up and hiding in the ovoid pendulum between its legs.

Fearlessly, Rei stood, firing shot after shot at the advancing Angel, trying to wear down its defense. Unit-00's quad vulcans spun up, dumping their ammo into the translucent octagon.

 _Pwang! Pwang! Pwang! Click._

The pistol ran dry, lacking any more darts for its electromagnet to propel. She tossed it aside without a glance, still spraying the vulcans.

This wasn't going well; she'd depleted all her weapons, Jet Alone 2 was out of action, and the Delta Wings wouldn't be able to retrieve them as long as the Angel was still around. Things were very grim indeed.

Gaghiel bent forwards, its four eyes flickering white as it brought its heads closer and closer to the Eva. The glow in its sockets rose, light beginning to bleed out-

" _HHRrrRooOOOOUAAAaagGGHH!"_

A raging howl split the air, the Angel and the cyborg turning to find the source of it.

.

On the wreck of what used to be the _Over the Rainbow_ , clutching a blood red lance almost as tall as it was, stood Eva Unit-02.

* * *

 _Minutes prior..._

.

Asuka groaned, struggling to pull out the weapon from its container. At thirty-five meters long, the Anti-Angel AT Negation Longinus-Base Lance of Cassius was hard enough to handle accurately with a normal Eva. With only one arm, it was damn near impossible to even _lift_ the thing.

 _~Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why can't I just_ do _something?!~_ Asuka cursed to herself, dragging the lance to the middle of the deck.

Above, Jet Alone was shot from the sky, falling away. The girl strained, pulling as hard as she could with her single arm. The lance lifted up… before the arm gave out.

Asuka snarled, clenching her fists in frustration.

"C-come on, _work!_ Why won't you just _goddamn work?!_ " she screamed, slamming a fist down on one of the Eva's butterfly grips. "What's it going to _take_ for you to just do what I _need you to_?! _What?!_ T- _tell me_ \- you… you _stupid!"_

 _Thump._

" _Fucking!"_

 _Thump._

" _Gott verdammt!"_

 _Thump._

" _Doll!"_

.

.

 _[...Doll?]_

The thought that flickered through the girl's head was not her own.

 _[I am not a doll…]_ The tone was slightly curious, its presence deep and warm.

"Y-yeah?..." her own reply is accusatory and caustic, biting back at _whatever_ this thing is. Asuka's eyes are red and bleary, her posture showing all the weight of the day's agony on her. Her patience is gone, her fuse burnt out. Asuka isn't going to take any more shit.

"... _prove it."_

The presence pauses.

.

 _[...Can a doll do_ this? _]_

.

In a flash, she's not alone. She can feel the Eva's body, but she's not the only one in it! Unit-02 moves on its own, rising up to its full height. Its helmet splits, four yellow eyes igniting in the gaps!

The entry plug shudders, holograms flashing into existence around with new data; neural activity, physical integrity, cybernetic systems! But one holo in particular stands out among the rest:

 **[SYNCH RATIO: 100.00%]**

.

The Evangelion flexes, raising its broken arm in front of it. The flesh and metal warps, closing the wounds as new muscles bubble and swell into place. But the arm's not the only thing healing; throughout the Eva, Asuka can feel the reparation, pressure fractures sealing, dislocated joints popping back into line, the entire cyborg restoring itself back to the prime of its being!

Asuka laughed, the joy and elation coursing through their perfectly synced body overshadowing the panic and fear of the unknown that would otherwise have taken hold. Reaching out as one, Asuka Langley Sohryu and Evangelion Unit-02 grabbed the fallen lance, leveling it at the Angel! Together, the two roared, screaming their joy to the world!

" _HHRrrRooOOOOUAAAaagGGHH!"_

.

The Angel turned, and they could sense its AT Field, rising in alien fear.

Asuka/Unit-02 pulled the lance back, aiming for the dense bulge at the base of Gaghiel's throat.

"Hey, _arseloch!_ " Asuka shouted. "Eat _this!"_

With perfect unity, the duo threw the lance, sending it rocketing forwards with a resounding _crack_! A line of fading hexagons followed the weapon, the Eva's AT Field propelling it faster than muscle power alone could. Gaghiel's AT Field sprang into being- but it was a fruitless gesture. Cassius Lances were literally _built_ to disrupt the strength of ego barriers; at the speed this one was travelling, the Angel's failure was certain.

The octagonal barrier only lasted for half a second, before the gold-banded cone punched a hole through it like a nail through plastic wrap. The lance stabbed through the steel frame, the layers of meat, piercing the gleaming red Core-

.

Gaghiel's shriek was cut off with the destruction of its Core, flesh melting into orange LCL from the wound and out. Buckling under its own weight, the metal framework collapsed, crashing into the ocean.

 _[...well?]_ The presence asked, warm and reassuring.

Asuka panted, slouching over.

"...guess I was wrong. You're something… something better."

Though they'd been healed, the rapid exertion had sapped the last of the girl's energy. Unit-02's legs quivered, before the Eva took the reins back from its pilot, slowly lowering to the deck.

 _[It has been a long day, with many challenges. Rest, Asuka,]_ it said, her eyes closing as her breathing slowed. _[I will see you again… just rest…]_

.

Completely drained, the Second Child faded into unconsciousness.


	18. Chapter 018

_Asuka..._

"Mmrgle…"

The girl stirred, mumbling to herself.

 _Asuka, it's time to get up._

She turned over, burrowing deeper into the bed.

"No, mama… don't wanna go to college…" Asuka mutters. The… bed, it feels like, is so comfy… it's soft, and warm, and-

"Asuka Langley Sohryu, you've been sleeping for forty eight hours _straight_. _Get. Up_." The last two words are emphasized especially, each accompanied by a poke to the back of her head. Asuka grunts, eyes fluttering open as she turns vaguely to the side.

Satisfied, the bespectacled brunette sitting beside the girl retracts her finger, and contently sighs.

The redhead rubs her eyes, slumping upright.

"... Four-Eyes?"

"Yep." Mari smiles, sagging wearily into her chair. Her hair is disheveled, and there's some very noticeable bags under her eyes.

"What… what exactly _happened_?" Asuka asked. Mari chuckled, leaning back into her chair.

"What happened?" Mari repeated, eyes twinkling. "What bit are you referring to, precisely? The part where you somehow _completely repaired_ Unit-02 in the middle of the ocean? The part where, afterwards, you killed the Angel in a _single strike_ \- with _my_ signature weapon, no less? Or could it be the part where you achieved the _highest synch ratio on record?_ Because I'll be frank, Princess: a _lot_ happened."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 018: You Can (Not) Relax**

Asuka stared.

.

"I… really?"

Mari nodded, though the motion continued a bit longer than usual.

"Yep. Saw the logs of the battle; blew what _I_ had out a' the water," the girl chuckled. "Aside from my Berserker, of course- but that's a little different. You actually _controlled_ the thing."

The corner of Asuka's mouth twitched, curling upwards.

"Yeah, guess I _was_ pretty… pretty great then…" The girl swallowed, rasping against her dry throat.

 _Falling. Sinking. Ocean. Alone. Desperation._

Her smile dimmed slightly, breath catching a little.

"But… I _never_ want to- to be in that situation _ever again_."

"And ya won't _have to_ ," the other girl replied, propping up her elbows on the bed Asuka's in. "I'm not gonna _let_ it happen. Nyeh," the girl stuck out her tongue.

Asuka blows a chunk of hair out of her face, the sheer ridiculousness of the 'promise' bringing back the grin full force.

"...You're ridiculous, Four-Eyes. Absolutely ridiculous." Mari nodded.

"That I am."

.

Lying back down, Asuka couldn't help but glance around. The room… did _not_ look like a hospital. The walls were creamy, rather than sterile white, the floor was wooden and had a few throw rugs across it, and the lamps were in no way hospital lamps.

"...Four-Eyes?"

"Mm?"

"... _Where_ am I?" Asuka asked. "This doesn't look like any Nerv hospital I've been to- not unless Japan's changed their style."

The other girl wets her lips, looking back at the room.

"Well, that's 'cause it's not a hospital. You actually got out yesterday. This is actually _my place_."

.

"... _Why_ am I at _your place_ , Four-Eyes?"

The brunette chuckled, taking one arm off the bed to rub the back of her head awkwardly.

"Well, ya see… I might have _kinda sorta_ signed the paperwork for you to stay _here_ \- as opposed to, well, a separate flat or something."

"..."

Asuka sighed, shaking her head.

"...You're a needy little Brit, aren't you?" teased the Second Child.

" _Prin~cess!"_

" _Brit_ , Four-Eyes! I said _Brit!_ "

There was a quiet moment, before the bespectacled girl giggled, a shaky, run-down noise.

"Y-yeah, I know. Jus' joking around," she replied. "Sorry, I've been awake for two days; thoughts are… starting to get a bit incoherent."

Asuka frowns.

"...Two _days_ , Four-Eyes? _Why?_ "

"I… ah…" And back to the head-rubbing Mari goes. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I was kinda worried. Concerned. Stuff. About you."

Asuka's frown dimmed, the harshness of her gaze fading.

"S-stupid Four-Eyes, you don't have to work yourself to death over me. I-I mean, that's _no_ invitation to _ignore me_ by any means-" she hastily added. "I just want you not to hurt yourself or anything. You're not as…" the girl gestures vaguely, before releasing a heavy sigh. "... look, just don't do anything _really_ _stupid_ 'cause of me, Four-Eyes. Now, _you_." Asuka said, leveling a finger at Mari. "Bed. Sleep. _Do it._ "

"Princess, I'm fine, I-"

"-was awake for forty eight hours straight. I heard about why you couldn't fight the Fifth, Four-Eyes; You. Need. Sleep."

"But _Princess_ -"

"I'm sorry, _who_ has the college degree here?" The redhead asked, head tilting. "Oh, that's right, it's _me_."

"Yeah, in _mechanical engineering_ ," Mari replied. Asuka snorted, eyes narrowed. Looked like she was going to have to play her Ace.

"Mari Harriet Makinami-Illustrious _Junior_ , _don't_ you use that tone with _me_."

Mari shrunk back into her chair, any bright retort dying in her throat. Apparently, playing the 'use her full name' card had worked. The Brit sighed heavily, resignation weighing down her voice.

.

" _Fine_ , Princess." Mari pouted.

Satisfied, Asuka shoved off the covers, swinging her legs off the bedside. The Second Child stood up, somewhat shakily, and gave her friend a squeeze.

"Mm~mmm. Now, off to bed. I'll go have-" Asuka cuts off, glancing around for a clock or window or something. "...Lunch? Lunch."

Mari stood up, stretching and yawning, before slouching into a vaguely disheveled, but still upright stance. As she exited the room, Asuka shooed the girl out alongside her- though she didn't really know the layout of Mari's flat, it couldn't be _that_ hard to find stuff.

* * *

 _The commander's office._

.

Gendo Ikari stared at the open files that lay on his desk; the after-battle report regarding the Seventh Angel. As expected, Jet Alone 2- while providing an amount of support for Rei- had ultimately failed. Of course, given how JHCI had rebuilt the entire mech after two years, he doubted it would be enough to dissuade them from further attempts at Angelic combat.

The performance of the Evangelions was… somewhat difficult to generalize. Unit-00 had been successful in retrieving the other Evangelion and confronting the Angel, but without the sudden competence of the other it would have undoubtedly fallen. Unit-02… initial reports suggested that it had failed after just over a minute of combat, resulting in the destruction of the Pacific Fleet... though it _had_ managed to inflict severe damage to the Angel's front. If it _hadn't_ sunk to the bottom of the ocean, it was entirely likely that the Eva could have reached the core, and destroyed Gaghiel.

Of course, there was the _other_ thing about Unit-02. Something entirely unexpected.

"A perfect synchronization…" Gendo muttered to himself. Somehow, the Second Child had achieved a ratio of one-to-one, unlocking the Eva's true potential. "...It appears that the Second may be of some use after all."

Sitting in the chair on the other side of the desk, Inspector Kaji couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the man's comment.

.

"...One of the seven people in the world who can control the only thing we have that's capable of killing the Angels is _useful_ ," he replied, fixing Gendo with a look. "You know, you _may_ just be onto something, Commander."

Behind his orange glasses, Gendo's eyes flicked up from the report.

"Hmph. You have the specimen?" he asked, the comment mildly irritating to him.

"Well, I didn't come here just to give you some actual backchat." A heavy briefcase was brought up- a thick looking box, with numerous braces made of some rune-inlaid black metal. The shapes flashed red, wrapping around the reinforcing rods as the case came down on top of the desk.

"Let me tell you, it was _hell_ getting this little guy out of Berlin. Kiel had the security tighter than his grip on the _rest_ of SEELE's Euro assets."

Kaji reached over the top, and flipped a clasp mounted on it. The case unlocked, spilling white light and fog from between the two halves. Its top was swung back, revealing the interior; mostly filled with layers of cushioning and the black braces, except for a cubic hole in the middle. Within that hole lay a prism of clear red-orange, a slight crystalline structure visible on it.

"Still, here you go, Commander, just as promised."

And within the cube of crystalline bakelite was a body.

.

It wasn't big, only just about the size of a man's hand. To some, it might have looked like an embryo of some sort, with one massive red-ringed eye staring out from its head. As Gendo looked down at it, the eye _moved_ , focusing on the man as its pupil dilated.

 _~Of course. Even Second Impact couldn't completely destroy it.~_

Gendo smiled.

"Hello there... _Adam_."

* * *

 _That evening, Katsuragi residence._

.

Shinji had been busy. Due to the most recent 'break' from school, there had been a lot of time to kill. And given that they finally had what was expected to be their full force of pilots here, what better way to spend it than by preparing for a big dinner party? Or, at least, that was what Shinji figured.

The boy looked out at the fruit of his labours, and smiled. It had turned out fairly well, in his opinion. All the food was fresh, the table was set, everything was perfect and ready. There was only one thing left to do: wait for everyone to actually _arrive_. But that was easy enough.

.

The first person to show up was Misato- which was fairly obvious, as they live in the same apartment together. Drawn out by the smell of Shinji's cooking, the woman emerged from her room, and sat down at the table, grinning.

"Hi Shinji."

"Hello, Misato," Shinji said, setting down the pot of rice in the middle of the table. "The others should be here soon enough- though Rei and Kaji might take a bit longer."

Misato's grin twitched.

"You… invited _Kaji_."

Shinji raised an eyebrow.

"Well, he _is_ Asuka's guardian," the boy replied. "And I'd think leaving him out _just because_ you have some bad history with him or something is just... well, kind of petty."

"... you're lucky that you make good food."

.

 _Knock knock._

Shinji's ears perked up, the boy turning.

"I'll get it," he muttered, almost automatically. The boy walked over, and pressed the button to open the door.

It was Kaji. And Asuka. Shinji blinked.

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear," he could barely hear Misato not-whisper under her breath. Kaji cracked a grin, and waltzed inside.

"Smells pretty good," the man complimented.

"Thanks… I've had practice."

Kaji gave a nod, before heading over to remove his shoes.

Asuka came in, blue eyes scanning the room like a hawk.

"If you're wondering where Four-Eyes is, she'll probably be late," the girl said nonchalantly, leaning back against the wall. For someone who'd been out for almost two days, the Second Child didn't look too drained at first glance. Her brightly coloured dress- clearly different from the one she'd worn on the _Rainbow_ \- and fiery hair were as vibrant as they'd been the first time he'd seen her, and it was only the slight slouch in her limbs that suggested the toil of what she'd been through.

The Second Child coughed.

"And… um, why is that?" The boy asked, eyes flitting up. Asuka sighed.

"Four-Eyes decided that she'd have enough waking time for the _both_ of us. Idiot stayed awake for forty eight hours before I _finally_ managed to get her to take a rest, just around lunchtime."

"...Ah," the boy replied, somewhat lamely. "Well, that's… good?" The answer seemed good enough for Asuka, who just kicked off her shoes and headed over to the table.

The boy sighed.

 _~Four girls I regularly associate with, and apparently I_ still _can't talk properly with them.~_

* * *

Thankfully, Kaji was _more_ than happy to provide a good outlet for everyone while they waited for their other guests. Adding to his relief was Asuka's flirting-with-him habits; or rather, lack thereof of such. Like Rei, she hadn't made any real advances on him yet, which Shinji was _very_ grateful for. _One_ pilot trying- even jokingly- to engage him in on-job fraternization was _more_ than enough for him. As it stood, the only one currently at the table that had made suggestive comments to him had been Misato- and _she_ was too occupied with Kaji to bother.

The next person to arrive was Rei, and then _finally_ Mari- who looked far more drained than Asuka had. Both of them brightened up at the sight of the food, though they _had_ seemed fairly enthused in the first place.

Mari took her seat- one of a few remaining spaces- next to Asuka, and slouched into her. The Second Child rolled her eyes, but didn't complain. Rei, who had arrived a little before her, had already taken her seat, setting down on the other side of Shinji.

.

"Well then," the boy announced. "Please, enjoy."

And they _did_. Shinji made some really good food.


	19. Chapter 019

The MAGI were busy. Balthasar, Melchior, and Casper chattered to each-other, continually updating and conversing in order to run Tokyo-3 as smoothly as possible. Of course, MAGI-class were incredibly powerful, with an information density per millimeter that was equivalent to the human brain- and MAGI were a _lot_ bigger than that.

What this meant was that not only were the three running almost the entire city with relatively little hassle, they were also able to discuss the latest bits of news they found, despite it having nothing to do with the rest of their tasks. In fact, they usually carried out several such conversations simultaneously in order to save time.

One conversation they were currently involved in could have invoked a bit of worry in the trio, had they allowed their emotive modules to be present in greater concentration than their minimal 10% level for this one.

It was initialized by Casper, and- unlike approximately 63.08% of Casper's topics- did _not_ revolve around the highest-ranking members of Nerv; something Melchior offered her approval of. No, this topic was on the _walls_. Specifically, the 13th Protein Wall in Sector Seven, one of the areas that Casper typically monitored.

{ -(to) (transcript):' _explicare observatione_ '}

{ -(to) (transcript):'relevance of (SEC. .13)? Justify/Describe?'}

{ -(all)(transcript):'Corrosion has been observed within the protein wall. Polysomes P.06-P.14 have been assigned for maintenance of the wall, and suggest less than optimal performance. P.06-P.14 are up to standard for all Polysomes, therefore the wall is responsible.'}

{ -(to) (transcript):' _in remotioris unitates non successit? si murus est tertiodecimo habet segnem egere.'_ }

{ -(to) (transcript):'suggestion: perform remote_scan of (SEC. .13). After(performance of action), report:new_data.'}

{ -(all)(transcript):'Suggestion recognized. As it does not seem to possess negative consequences of notable quantity or quality, this action shall be undertaken.'}

There was a momentary pause, as Casper conducted the examination.

{ -(all)(transcript):'Exam **i** nation has been unde **r** taken. Currently, res **u** lts ar **e**... **l** ess than ideal. Da **t** a sugg **e** sts that no co **rr** osi **o** n is p **r** esent, though this does not match the prior evidence **of** the other instruments. **G** eneral pr **o** cedure woul **d** be to continue the examination, in an attempt to gather further information.'}

{ -(to) (transcript):' _Ne stulte Pádua. Accedite situm Caute tui semper volutpat._ '}

{ -(to) (transcript):'Understood. Parameters(modifier: choice) given are acceptable. expresses: approval, confirmation, limited worry.'}

The three MAGI sent a quick affirmative all around, concluding this particular conversation.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 019: You Must (Not) go to School**

 _School, Classroom 3-A_

.

"All rise!"

Twenty eight students stood up. The Class Rep took a moment to pause, taking a breath before she continued.

"Bow!"

"Be seated."

And with that done, the school day began. The teacher stepped forward, giving the Class Rep a nod.

"Attention, class," he announced, clearing his throat. "Before we begin work, I would like to tell you that we have a new student joining us." The man looked towards the door, raising his voice a notch. "Please, enter."

The door opened, sliding on its track. The student entered, and turned towards the class.

.

"Hi! I'm Asuka. Asuka Langley Sohryu."

* * *

The girl dropped into her seat casually, crossing her legs under the desk. This classroom had more than enough empty seats available for her to take, so Asuka had been able to sit pretty much wherever she fancied; which in this case, was in roughly between the Third and Fifth Children.

.

Satisfied that everyone was present, the history teacher cleared his throat, and began.

"Right then. Now class, today we'll be continuing on with our latest unit; the late Showa period. Please open the latest file, and scroll to page eighty."

* * *

Asuka was a little bit annoyed. It wasn't that school seemed _bad_ or anything, but… well, she didn't have any reason to _be_ here, other than Misato's overruling on the matter.

True, her fellow pilots- the closest people she could consider to true friends- were here, and her Japanese _was_ just a _little_ rusty…

...but she could talk to them practically _any_ time she wanted to _outside_ of school! And there were _plenty_ of online courses she could take! So _why_ should she have to go to school? She'd been through it _years_ ago- hell, she'd gone to _college_ for a few years! There was no reason why she should! But what had Misato said?

 _~"It'll be good for you to get out and make some new friends!"~_ Asuka repeated mockingly to herself, typing up another bullet point in her notes without so much as a second glance. Yeah, school was stupid.

But still… Asuka had to admit that not _everything_ about it seemed awful. And not just her initial points- the pilots all being here, and finally getting the chance to figure out the stupid mess that was kanji- but other things as well.

Much to the enjoyment of Asuka's ego, it seemed that she was drawing _quite_ a bit of attention; other students would occasionally glance over at her, undoubtedly captivated by the Second Child's looks.

 _~As they should be,~_ Asuka thought, self-indulgently.

And, one _could_ suppose that the material they were learning so far could be an advantage- mainly because it was closer to review for Asuka, rather than completely new stuff. Which meant that she wouldn't have to work _nearly_ as hard in order to ace problems.

But that seemed to sum up school for Asuka Langley Sohryu; stupid, but not _completely_ useless.

* * *

 _Rrrrrrring! Rrrrrrring!_

.

The chiming of the lunch bell was a great relief for many. Temporarily freed of classes, the students could now relax for a bit, and have something to eat.

Shinji as usual, was perfectly fine eating by himself. The boy took out his bento, and set it on his desk. He had just opened it up, when he heard a couple footsteps approaching. Shinji looked up.

On one side was Kensuke; glasses, curly hair, and all. On the other… someone new. The other boy was taller than either of them, with a head of short cropped black hair, and a dark track suit jacket that Shinji didn't remember being part of acceptable school uniform. Not that anyone seemed to be bothered by that.

"...Yes?" asked Shinji, curious as to just _what_ the newcomer wanted.

"Hey, Shinji!" Kensuke said. "Toji and I were just coming over to talk." The newcomer- Toji, apparently- stepped forwards, bending forwards a little to look Shinji in the eye. The Third Child swallowed reflexively, but managed to keep a steady gaze back.

"Hm," Toji huffed. "You're Shinji Ikari, huh?" he asked, likely rhetorically.

"...Yes," the Third Child answered slowly. The boy huffed again, head nodding slightly.

And then he stuck his hand out.

"I'm Toji. Toji Suzuhara."

* * *

Mari liked food quite a bit. She also liked the close-knit group of friends that were the pilots. So it stood to say that Mari was having a fairly good time. The only things that remotely put a damper on her mood were the silly little cultural things that only really popped up in her mind now; such as the problems with- of all things Japan could have issues with- _hand holding._

But there were things _far_ more deserving for Mari to dwell on than nonsensical social things. For instance, the brunette could easily focus on, say... the boy in the black jacket who was currently talking to Shinji?

 _~...Nah, he's fine,~_ Mari decided, turning back over to 'her' area.

* * *

Lunch finished- a little _too_ quickly for the foreign students' tastes- leading to the next class: science. Science was still within its biology unit, which was one of the more… engaging classes at the moment. At the very least, Shinji could say, it kept everyone busy. Another thing it did was give him a little time to think.

.

The conversation with Toji had been… well, better than it had initially seemed. The other boy was _very_ intimidating when he wanted to be, even considering the things Shinji had _actually_ faced.

Apparently, Toji had been out on some trip with his family, which explained why he hadn't really confronted Shinji before. Kensuke had sent him messages about the new students, and Toji had been a little curious. Shin-

 _"_ _Ehem."_

Shinji blinked, snapping out of his stupor. The Class Rep stared down at him.

"Oh… um, sorry, Horaki," he said. "I'll… keep working." The young woman nodded.

"Good. Next time, just try to keep the daydreaming to lunch, Ikari."

* * *

The final bell rang, loud and clear. The voice of the Class Rep followed not too long after.

"All rise!"

"Bow!"

"Class dismissed."

.

Students slung their bags over their shoulders, and funnelled out through the door, ready to go home. As they left the grounds, the four Eva pilots grouped up as the first three had before, except now joined by Asuka.

Rei and Shinji hung back in comfortable silence, letting the pair of extroverts chatter to each other in English. The most he'd have to worry about- other than homework- was the synchronization test taking place in a couple hours. But until then, the boy had himself some more peace.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, at the 13th Protein Wall of Sector Seven..._

.

The Polysome hovered in the water, just around the corroded wall. The exceedingly simple AI that drove it was ready to begin a closer investigation, as commanded by Melchior.

The corrosion had spread a little since it was first found. To the naked eye, it appeared as a greasy black stain, spots of dark purple and indigo splattered across it. To the Polysome, however, it was awash with colours all across the EM spectrum, emitting quite a bit of heat as well. It matched nothing else on record.

.

Time to begin.

{Command: initialize}

The motorcycle-sized robot pulsed its turbines, closing in. A plethora of mechanical armatures extended from below its main camera, ready to grab and sample.

{Activating LASER_drill}

A small structure near the camera, very similar in design to a flashlight, flicked on. The lense spun, directing a thin, red beam of light towards the wall. The beam struck the wall gentle, sizzling as it began to cut out a small piece. The robot floated forwards, reaching out to suction up the piece into a sampling tube…

.

 **I**

The corrosion _flexed_ , pushing out from the wall, and engulfing the arm! Inky, greasy black shot up the Polysome's limb, bubbling and hissing as it did!

 **I**

Quickly, the Polysome reversed- or tried to. The substance- 'corrosion' didn't really work anymore- stuck tight to the arm, rapidly spreading across the other manipulators! It pulled, tugging the robot closer to its main mass…

 **I**

Alarm flashing across to the other Polysomes, there was nothing the unit could due, as it came into contact with the main body of the substance. It worked over the metal body, seeping through cracks and joints, beginning to tear the drone apart!

 **I**

As the pieces of metal and circuitry came apart, absorbed into the mass, a small red light gleamed.

It awoke.

.

 **IRUEL.**


	20. Chapter 020

Alarms wailed, the walls of Central Dogma flashing their hexagonal alerts!

"Pattern Blue detected!" One of the bridge workers shouted, glasses flashing with the light from his screen. _"It's the Eighth Angel!"_

Misato's hand slammed down on his headrest, as the captain looked at the screen.

"An _Angel_?! Where the hell is it?!"

"It's…" Hyuga stared at the screen, not quite believing what he saw. "- _inside headquarters?!"_

A hush fell over the Dogma crew, as everyone processed this new revelation. An Angel had entered headquarters, without so much as a second thought.

.

 _"_ _Oh no."_

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 020: You Should (Not) Be Scared**

 **Absorb.**

 **Adapt.**

 **Grow.**

.

The newly born Iruel surged outwards, working its body through the protein walls of the testing chamber. White tiles were consumed by the shimmering dark goo, warping and bubbling as they were converted into Angelic matter. A single red sphere, about the size of a baseball, blazed on the Angel's 'flesh', shivering as glowing red veins grew from it, flowing across its body's surface- now passing the size of a van.

The Polysomes whirred, pulsing their thrusters to get to an optimal range. As one, the motorcycle-sized robots fired their lasers, aiming for the Angel's core. But sure enough, a fractured spray of hexagonal light popped into existence a few centimeters above its surface, scattering the lasers before they could impact it. Iruel didn't react beyond that, simply continuing to spread.

.

 _Nothing_ would stop it from completing its objective.

* * *

 _"_ _Attention all civilians. A special state of emergency has been declared. Please make your way to the nearest shelter. Repeat; a special state of emergency has been declared. Please…"_

The quartet froze in their tracks. Shinji's eyes widened.

.

"That… _that's the Angel alert_ ," he whispered.

"Come on!" Asuka shouted, taking the lead to run ahead. "We have to get to headquarters!" The other three took off after her, hoping that they weren't going to be too late.

For only having a few seconds of lead on them, Asuka kept her few meters of distance for quite some time. Thankfully for the pilots with less aerobic endurance than the Second Child- which was to say _all_ of them- the nearest entrance to the Geofront was less than ten minutes away at their pace.

.

At last the four came to a halt outside the entrance, each breathing heavily from the nearly nonstop running.

"All… alright then," Mari panted, hands on her knees. "Maybe… next time, Princess, you could… _wait up_ for us?"

Asuka glanced over at the other girl.

"And maybe _next time_ , we'll get better notification of the Angel," the girl replied, carrying herself confidently in spite of her heavier breathing.

.

Shinji cleared his throat.

"Maybe we could get in the elevator, instead of waiting around?" He asked. Rei nodded.

"I concur with Ikari. It would be far more useful for us to avoid delaying ourselves from deployment."

Confronted with this exceedingly forward assessment, Mari couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"...You don't say."

Nevertheless, the rest of the conversation was held off until the elevator doors shut.

* * *

"Dammit! The Angel isn't stopping! We aren't even slowing it down!" Shigeru cursed, watching the feeds from the MAGI's failing attempt to fend off the Angel. The being had consumed two more Polysomes, expanded to cover more than the entire wall, and was _now_ trying to absorb the simulation bodies on the other side of the chamber.

Things did not look good.

"What's the status of Terminal Dogma?" Misato demanded. This time, Maya chimed in her reply from the other side of the command deck.

"Bringing it up on the screen, captain!"

The projectors started up, displaying the view of an enormous set of doors, sealed tight by all manner of locks. Not a trace of oily Angel slime was visible.

"Dogma is secured. All's good."

Everyone took half a second to be relieved. If the Angel made it in there… well, none of the workers actually knew all the info, but it wouldn't be good.

* * *

The elevator worked well, carrying all four down into the Geofront with great haste. The doors slid open with a clang, revealing an… oddly _empty_ hallway. Rei's brow furrowed. It was normal for there to be a significant portion of personnel busy at their battle stations… but even then, there tended to be at least a few who stayed around, due to non-combatant roles.

.

Curious. Curious indeed.

The silence was broken, as Asuka seized command of the group.

"Alright, let's get moving! Plugsuits, people! Ikari, you're with yourself; Four-Eyes, First, you're with me." Rei blinked, mildly surprised by the suddenness of the girl.

Checking to make sure everyone had heard her, Asuka exhaled, and set off down the hall, swiftly followed by the other three Children.

.

The curious silence didn't stop, Rei noted. The only noises came from them- everyone else was gone, every _thing_ else was quiet.

Shinji split off at an intersection, heading to his changing area, while the girls went to theirs.

Mari walked ahead, and swiped her ID card through the door.

The door slid open-

Something oily and black stared out, a myriad of red eyes splitting apart its surface.

 **I-**

 _"_ _Fucking hell!"_ Mari squeaked, backpedaling furiously. The Angel gave a keening squeal, metal armatures sprouting from the stained walls. Multi-jointed arms tipped with snapping hooks and spear points lashed out, intent on tearing apart their fleshy targets!

Rei's eyes flashed gold.

.

 _Ching!_

The swarm of metal limbs smashed into an octagonal wall of light, pulsating violently between the girl and the Angel! The other girls stared, before the door slammed shut on the Angel.

Rei's eyes dimmed back to red, and the barrier faded. The pale girl turned.

.

"I believe we should find another place to change in."

Mari and Asuka nodded dumbly.

* * *

Shinji paused when he heard the squealing, dull white plugsuit hanging off his lithe frame like a too-big robe.

 _~…What the hell?~_

And then the noise died down.

Shinji blinked, looking around warily, and clicked in the buttons on his wrist. The Plugsuit hissed, shrinking to seal tight around him, a black "01" emblazoned on his collar. A battery in his suit's 'backpack' purred to life, activating the fibre optic nanofilaments built into the garment. Matte white fabric darkened, sheathing the boy's lower torso, arms, and legs in an inky indigo, while his ribcage remained a silvered alabaster.

It _was_ a very nice outfit, he supposed, but Shinji was more worried about who- or maybe _what-_ he'd heard out the-

 _Shunk!_

The door slid open, just as the boy turned around. At the sight of the other three Children waiting _very_ intently at the door, the boy squeaked.

"I- wha- bu- why-"

"Angel's in the other one," Mari said, voice papery thin. "Nearly disemboweled me. Rei has an AT Field. One side, my puppy."

The boy blinked, and stepped aside, letting the others enter.

"I'll… wait outside then? Or by the door or something?" He said uncertainly. From somewhere inside the rows of lockers and barriers, he could swear he heard Mari mutter "good doggy" in reply.

Shinji sighed, and turned to face the door.

.

"Technically, pilot Makinami didn't state it correctly."

The boy turned, Rei compressing her suit. The nanofilaments triggered, the plugsuit brightening to a porcelain white, with yellow-green stripes on the shoulders, and darker grey sections along her sides, thighs, and lower arms.

It was _also_ a _very good fit_ , the Third Child noticed, a little distracted.

"I… wait, what?" He asked, eyes unsticking. "She _what_?"

Rei walked up to the wall beside the boy, and leaned back.

"Pilot Makinami mentioned that I have an AT Field. While this is true… so does _every_ living organism." The First Child turned, fixing Shinji with her gaze. "What she _meant_ to say was that I have a _deployable_ AT Field."

 _Deployable_ … he'd heard that term used before, in a similar context…

"W-wait, like an _Eva's?_ " he asked, brow furrowing. Rei nodded.

.

"Precisely. My body... is not fully reliant on my field for its stability, so I am able to manifest it in a defensive manner- as I did for Makinami."

"...That's… unique." Shinji Ikari, master of understatements, replied. The thought really hadn't had time to sink in, which could easily explain why he wasn't freaking out about this revelation. Rei, similarly understating things, nodded back.

"Indeed."

.

"Oh, Shinji…~"

Twin _zips_ sounded from behind the wall of lockers, and the other two pilots entered, looking considerably less shaken up. Mari actually looked _relaxed_ \- a fair difference from the stressed-looking girl he'd seen a few minutes ago- her helmet propped up under one arm. Asuka similarly seems better than before, the glimmer of a smile visible on her face. "We're ready to go~" Mari finished in a sing-song voice.

"Um… Mari?" Shinji asked.

"Makinami," Rei stated.

"Yes?"

.

Shinji took a breath.

"...What, exactly, did you... _do_ , back there?"

"Oh, _Shinji_ ," the Fifth Child replied breathily. "If _only_ you knew." Asuka sighed.

"Four-Eyes," the redhead said. "Job. Angel. _Inside_ the Geofront."

"Precisely why I didn't detail it, Princess."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's _go."_

* * *

They were in deep trouble when the Angel finally reached the simulation bodies. Faster than anticipated, it had consumed the three crude Eva copies, with devastating results. The bodies had fused together, forming a headless, legless, three-armed monstrosity with a glowing red core growing from its neck stump- the most solid thing to a physical form the Angel had taken. Iruel had climbed deeper down into the watery chamber with its new body, cables of Angel flesh trailing from its joints, and

Now, having obtained a cybernetic matrix, Iruel appeared to be trying to _hack_ the facility- and it was already quite successful at this! The monster had already ripped control of its sector away from the MAGI, and was starting to encroach deeper into NERV's base! In order to prevent the actual Eva Units from being compromised, they had been launched to the surface- something the Angel didn't appear concerned with, thankfully.

.

But with _that_ taken care of, a _new_ problem popped up soon enough. The Children were in the same sector as the Angel.

.

Of course, Misato had a plan.

* * *

"I- You _can't_ be serious, Katsuragi!"

"Why not?" Misato replied, clicking the buckles on the bulletproof vest shut. "It's not that different from the rescue missions I've gone on- just, instead of other people, I'm up against a genocidal alien monster that infects machinery. Piece of cake."

Ritsuko frowned.

"Katsuragi, what about the rest of Dogma's crew? You're the operations director!"

"I'm _not_ going to let the Angel get my kids!" Misato fired back.

.

"Besides," she muttered. "Nothing I've got has done more than slow the damn thing down. Might as well do something of use today."

The tension in the blonde-haired woman's body slid away, though the brooding glare remained.

"...Fine. I'll take over."

"Thanks, Ritz." Misato gave a two-finger salute, and slipped a submachine gun under her arm.

As the Captain left on her mission, Ritsuko sighed, rubbing her temples. The woman walked back out to the bridge, and found the three crewmembers waiting.

"Er… Doc?" asked Shigeru. "Where's-"

"The Captain's left," Ritsuko replied. "I'm taking her role for now."

.

None of the Dogma crew noticed that the Commander wasn't there anymore.

* * *

.

"Hey! First!"

Rei paused, glancing behind her, where the Second Child stood.

"I've seen the maps. _This_ isn't the way towards the Evas," Asuka said. "Where the hell are you taking us?"

"..." the girl muttered something.

"What?"

"Somewhere safe," Rei repeated, loud enough to hear.

"And the Evas _aren't_?" Asuka raised an eyebrow.

"Princess has a point," chimed in Mari from the very back. "We're a lot safer in our Evas, and we can do a _lot_ more."

"If the being we spotted is any indication of the Angel's true form, the Evas won't be of much use against it!" the First Child replied, scowling. "It is amorphous, able to modify its shape, and has _already_ entered the Geofront!" The girl paused, breathing heavily. Slowly, Rei's outburst cooled, the girl looking away...

"We _can't_ fight it with the Evas. But I _do_ know where we can stop it."

She turned.

"Do you trust me?"

.

The question hung in the air, waiting.

.

"...Yes."

The three girls' gazes turned, settling on Shinji. The boy looked… serious.

"You told me to trust you back during the la-," Shinji paused, correcting himself. "- _Next_ to last Angel. And… well, it _worked_. If you know what to do against this thing, then I'll go along with it."

At this, Rei gave a small smile of gratitude. The other two pilots looked at each other, and shrugged.

"She's got Shinji on board," Mari noted. "That's a pretty good sign." Asuka exhaled, flaring her nostrils. This day was _not_ getting better at all.

"Fine. Just… fine. I'll take your stupid plan," Asuka said. "Now, where's this so-called safe pl-"

"Kids?"

Everyone turned.

"...M-Misato?" Shinji whispered.

The woman, dressed in full combat gear, submachine gun slung across her back, grinned.

"Kids!" The tactical director of NERV rushed forwards, wrapping her arms around her charges. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

As Mari happily returned the hug, the others contenting themselves to simply being embraced… Rei's brow furrowed.

"Captain?" She asked. "There's something… something we need to do."

Misato's eyes opened.

"Yes?" she asked. As the embrace ended, Rei took a breath.

.

"We need to get to Terminal Dogma."

.

* * *

Down, and down, and down they went. Taking stairs, escalators, whatever was available at the time. The Angel's progress was slower, but it did not halt, did not pause- it just kept on advancing.

The five came to a halt.

.

"We're here," Rei muttered.

Before them was a set of doors, big enough to fit an Evangelion through. Lock after lock was upon it, barring all from entry. Near the side, a much smaller- but no less armoured- door, sized for people.

Misato approached, drawing her ID to swipe through…

[Access Denied]

The woman blinked, and frowned. She tried again- resulting in the same response; refusal of the card.

"What? Really? Why isn't it working?"

"Because you don't have access." The voice cut out from the poorly lit surroundings. Glasses gleamed in the light from the display screen, the other features of the man losing their indistinctness with each step.

Commander Gendo Ikari stepped into view.

.

"...Commander?" Misato asked, the others in varying states of surprise.

"The Dogma lock is only configured to accept three cards; those of Doctor Akagi, Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki, and myself. Your card isn't authorized."

The white-gloved hand moved swiftly, sliding a red card through the scanner. The display blinked green.

[Access Granted.]

As the door hissed open, the man looked back at them.

"You may enter."

Asuka spoke up.

"...Sir?"

"Yes, Pilot?"

"How come you're _here_?" the girl asked. "As opposed to Central Dogma or somewhere else?"

"Simple," replied Gendo. "This was always the plan, should an Angel subvert the Evas. Rei knew what to do."

The man gestured to the open door with one hand.

"Captain, Pilots. Welcome to Terminal Dogma."


	21. Chapter 021

The room was _truly_ massive- Shinji could barely see the end of it. It just stretched on and on…

Though what he _could_ see was very, _very_ curious.

Running down the middle was a pathway of shiny, dark red stone, rising out of a sea of… LCL? Crystalline pillars of salt rose out of the fluid's surface, frosting over chunks of the orange liquid into LCLbergs.

 _Ka-Shunk!_

Shinji tensed at the sound of metal crashing into metal, turning around. His father let go of the now closed door's handle, shoving his hand into his pocket. The boy turned away, shivering slightly. To his surprise, he could actually make out the vaporous wisps of his breath, curling through the air.

 _~Why's this place so_ cold _?~_ he thought, slowly making his way down the path.

.

"Come," said Rei, far ahead of them. "We have to go on."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 021: It is (Not) Most Fearsome**

Deeper, deeper, deeper into the space they went. Terminal Dogma seemed to stretch on forever, an expanse of LCL, salty floes, and cold. The road behind them was masked with fog, as was the road ahead. Rei led the way, just at the edge of his view. Before him, the twin figures of the Fifth and Second Children strode side by side, while his father took up the back. Misato walked beside him, her presence offering the boy some sense of security in this alien place.

.

"Huh?"

Shinji blinked, turning towards Misato, who stared out into the LCL sea. The woman squinted.

"What's that out there?" she muttered.

"What's what?" Shinji asked, following her gaze. Misato pointed.

" _That_."

Shinji's eyes narrowed, the boy leaning forwards slightly to see what she was referring to.

He found it.

.

The fog cleared for a moment, revealing _something_ lying in the sanguine orange fluid.

A body.

Stained with orange, the corpse lay half-sunken into the liquid, its upper half frosted over lightly. It was vaguely humanoid, albeit with grotesquely stretched proportions. Any hints of its original colour were near the top, where the skin turned a light greying brown.

Clearly, it had been a long time since whatever this thing was had died; its papery was stretched tight across its ribs, an orange-brown stain dripping down from where its head _should_ have been.

The boy swallowed.

"A Failure," came the voice from his other side. Shinji glanced to his right, to find his father standing there.

"This is the Grave," Gendo said quietly. "What you see is one of NERV's countless Failures to create a functioning Evangelion, cast off to lie in this place for eternity."

"It's… dead," Misato muttered. "I never knew NERV had-"

"It was never alive in the first place," the man stated with finality, before turning away. "Come, Captain, Shinji."

The two slowly slunk back from the edge, letting the fog consume the body once more. The three others were barely visible at this point, leaving Gendo the only one still clear to them.

Neither Misato nor Shinji said anything else.

It was time to keep moving.

* * *

It didn't take long for Shinji and Misato to catch up to the others. The failed Eva prototype wasn't mentioned… though that didn't stop others from showing up. And _this_ time, it wasn't just Shinji and Misato who noticed them.

If anything, the Failures got _worse_ with each one they saw. The first, even if it was missing its head and lower body, at least still looked somewhat like an Eva- or a person. The older bodies… didn't. They were twisted, malformed monstrosities in various states of decay. Some had too many arms or legs, twined together like branches; some had awful heads, with split jaws, missing eyes, or sealed-off orifices; some lacked limbs altogether, giving them the look of poorly developed serpents. Whatever the case, each was less and less humanoid than the one before it, and more and more disturbing.

At the very least, they were all dead.

.

After many minutes, they reached a wall, with two more doors; a massive double-set, and a smaller one, nearly identical to the first set they'd gone through.

.

"This is the second chamber of Dogma," the Commander said, looking at the others. "Past here, there are things just as disturbing as the Angels you've fought, if not more so. I would advise you _not_ to look at them."

"Can't be worse than this freaky shit," Mari muttered under her breath.

* * *

And yet, it was- despite the fact that nobody could actually _see_ the things.

The entire room was swathed in shadow, the only lights present lining the edge of the pathway to prevent any missteps. They cast a dim glow across the path, barely enough to let the six see anything else.

 _~At least it's not quite as chilly_ ,Mari thought to herself. No, _instead_ , the air was heavy, and stuffy, and _warm_. Why the hell was this chamber so warm, when the last one was so cold?

Mari wasn't one who tended to be labelled as 'scared of the dark.' That said, this place made her feel… uneasy. The last chamber, while certainly _freaky_ , at least let her see what was going on there. Here, there was no such relief.

Almost instinctively, Mari's fingers closed around her partner's, seeking out the comfort that came from her touch.

It helped. Somewhat.

.

 _~This Deus ex Machina that the Blue Wonder's got had better be something_ really _impressive,~_ Mari thought.

* * *

Iruel slammed another fist into the wall, reaching lower.

The Angel had finally broken through the testing chamber completely, and was crawling down the main shaft. The fused triple-torso that served as its main body was tethered to the rest of its mass, long ropes of oily matter stretching from its waist, up towards the chamber.

The arm punched into the wall's plate, tearing a hole into it. The third arm swung down, punching another handhold.

The Angel paused. Micro-circuitry fired across the entire surface of its 'body', computing complex arrangements of information and decisions. With the amount of volume it had, a conclusion was reached in no time.

It had encountered no opposition with its primary body so far. So either the weapons that had felled its predecessors were unavailable to its foes… or it was moving into a trap.

.

Iruel lurched, dropping down another few meters. Its first arm pulled free, and moved lower. If it was a trap, then so be it.

After all, the Angel could not be successful by simply _not_ reaching its true destination.

* * *

"Here it is."

After far too many minutes of pitch black darkness, and a feeling of being watched, they'd made it too the other side. The 'Grave' was behind them, and the 'Hold'- as the Commander had called this one- finished. Now all that was left was this one last door. "The final chamber of Dogma. The reason why you're all here," the man said. "Rei."

"Yes?" The girl asked.

"You're prepared?"

"Yes."

.

One last time, Gendo swiped his card.

 _Shunk!_

.

.

 _Click._

If the cold metal of a gun barrel against the back of his head caused any distress, Gendo didn't show it. Misato bared her teeth,

"...Captain Katsuragi," a soft voice whispered from the side. "I would suggest you put down your gun. Otherwise, I will be forced to retaliate."

"It's alright, Rei. I believe the Captain wants some answers," he said calmly. "Captain?"

"What the hell is that _thing_ doing here?!" Misato snapped, nodding towards the contents of the room. Hanging by its pierced wrists from a massive cross in the centre, a massive figure, twice as big as an Eva, stared down. Its skin was clammy and pale, its body claylike and waterlogged with orange fluid. A bramble of comically small legs exploded from its waist, twitching occasionally. But odder than that was the crimson bident driven through its chest, and the seven-eyed mask affixed to its face.

"The First Angel's supposed to be _dead_ \- so explain to me _why_ you've got it _locked up in your basement!_ "

Gendo turned, barely looking behind himself at the woman.

"Simple. This is _not_ the First Angel," the man said.

Misato's grip loosened slightly.

"...Wait, _what?_ "

"You are correct. Adam, the First Angel, perished during the Second Impact. What you see here is the _Second_ Angel."

"We call her Lilith."

* * *

"...Lil…lith?" the boy murmured, eyes wide with shock. The First Angel? Involved with the Second Impact? The Second Angel? Here? _In NERV?_

 _~So… so_ this _is what my father's been working on,~_ he thought. _~He's had this lying around all this time… right under our feet. What does he even need this… this_ thing _for? He's promised answers, but… this just…~_

 _._

 _"_ _Father!"_ Shinji snapped. Five pairs of eyes swung round, caught off-guard by the outburst.

"...Just… just what the hell is going on here?!"

"You never tell me anything- you never explain anything! _Tell me!_ " Shinji's fists quivered, clamped against at his side. Gendo's brow furrowed in irritation.

"...I don't have time for this."

"You _never do!"_ The boy yelled back. The older man paused, eyes opening slightly. His glower darkened, nostrils flaring out.

"Stop acting so _childish_. You are a _pilot_ ," his father spat. Rising to the challenge, Shinji took a step forward.

"Maybe when I get some damn answers for once, instead of just 'it's nothing of consequence for you', or 'I will explain later'! Why shouldn't it matter?! I'd say that something like _this_ matters a _lot_!"

"You will _cease_ this attitude _at once_ , pilot, or you will be suspended from your piloting duties!"

"Oh, _pilot_? You can't even be bothered to call me your _son_ any longer, father?" The younger Ikari isn't annoyed anymore- he's just angry. "Can't even keep up the _pretence_ of _caring_ about me?! Well _fine_ , I don't care about being a pilot! I never wanted to, anyways!"

"If you care so _little_ , than _leave!_ " Pushed to the limit of his patience, the man roared back his reply. "You can just as easily be replaced!"

"Then why the hell did you even _bring me here?!"_

"I-"

 _"_ _Mein Gott_ , can you two just _shut up!?"_ Asuka snarled, cutting off Gendo's retort.

The duo's attention broke, as the fiery young woman stared them both down.

" _Gott verdammt_. It was _infuriating_ enough when _I_ always ended up arguing with my _arschloch_ of a father, but seeing _this?!_ _Bah_ , you two are even _worse!_ So _you_ -" Asuka rounded on Shinji, and jabbed a finger at him. "Rein in your _Scheiß-_ attitude, because there's an _Angel bearing down on us!_ And _you-"_ the finger moved, its new target the Commander. _"Stop pissing off_ your _son_. It's _not_ going to get you _anywhere_."

The Second Child slammed her hands down on her hips, her fury almost palpable.

"Do I make myself _clear?!"_

.

Stunned by the angry chewing out he's just had, it took a while for Shinji to recover. Slowly, the boy gave a nod, the action stilted and uncertain. He'd gotten the point.

Gendo was next to recover, but said nothing. Huffing, the elder Ikari simply turned away, and walked down the pathway towards Lilith, hands shoved in his pockets.

The boy sighed, and sat down at the side of the path, staring into the LCL lake a few meters below.

.

 _"_ _Wonderful."_

 _Thoom._

* * *

It was here.

Iruel crashed down on the ground of the shaft, strings of Angelic matter thrashing like whips. The viral Angel extended all three arms, pushing itself up off the ground. A tangle of wires and flesh at the base of its body thickened, twisting together like roots or tentacles.

The red Core at the top of its body 'looked' forwards, taking in the double doors before it. An easy task to deal with, now that it had managed to cut off all possibilities of interference.

Surging forwards, the Angel slammed a fist into the wall, sending a shockwave rippling through the support structure. But when Iruel pulled its arm back, neither hand nor door had given in.

The Angel shoved its hand against the door, planning to consume it as it had so many other obstacles before. The viral slime that made up its true form flowed out of the outstretched phalanges, working their way across the door…

… Only to find that- much to the Angel's surprise- the door _resisted_. The virus simply _couldn't_ penetrate it.

.

 **NO.**

.

The Angel reared back and twisted, sending all three of its fists into the door one after the other. Impacts rang out, as Iruel became intent on simply _beating_ its way through the troublesome barrier. Fist after fist slammed into the metal, ringing like gongs until…

 _Crunch._

The door broke, one of the Angel's fists plunging through the centre. The hand unfurled, latching onto the inner surface. Now with a pathway, the virus surged through, surrounding the barrier and overriding its control. The doors to Dogma slid open, and the Angel crawled inside.

One hand broke through a berg of frozen LCL, plunging noisily into the fluid. Had it possessed anything akin to conventional sensory organs, the Angel might have blinked. But this liquid… it was familiar. And this place… to Iruel, this place 'smelled' of- well, the nearest translation would likely be 'hosts'; a source of sustenance, stability, and materials. To the virus, it was a banquet.

Hungrily, the Angel stepped in.

Almost there.

* * *

A pair of red eyes widened, a flicker of gold shimmering over the irises.

.

"It's broken through," Rei whispered softly, glancing towards the door. The First Child turned.

"Captain," she said louder, getting Misato's attention. "The Eighth Angel has penetrated Terminal Dogma's defenses."

" _Dammit_ ," the woman cursed under her breath, before looking over at the others.

"Everyone, let's move! The Angel's coming!"

"Move?" Asuka asked. "Move _where?_ There's only _one_ exit to this place, and the _Angel's_ probably taking that route."

"Good question," Misato replied. "Rei?"

"The end of the platform. Close to Lilith," the girl stated without a second thought. "I'll deal with the Angel."

The other three Children stared.

" _You_... will deal with... the _Angel_?" the question was slow, its owner not quite believing what she'd just heard. Rei's eyes twitched to the side.

"That is correct, Pilot Illustrious. I will engage it in solo combat, and destroy it."

"...Bull."

"This is not for you to argue with," the girl said. "Move."

As the group began to head down the pathway, Misato pulled back, and leaned down to Rei's ear.

"Rei, you can't be _serious_ about this! Even for my plans, this is insane!" the Captain hissed. Rei sighed.

"I am _completely_ serious," she replied. "This was _always_ the plan, should the Evas be unable to deal with an Angel."

"But it's _crazy!_ "

.

"Then so be it."

The path widened into a T-bar shape, stretching out before Lilith. The pale girl stopped, just at the junction, and turned towards the doors. Behind her, she could hear the others muttering.

"No, _seriously_ , Miso. What's she going to do against an _entire fucking Angel_?!"

"I don't _know_ , she didn't _explain_ anything to me, Mari. My guess is as good as yours."

"Well, it'd better be good," the Second Child chimed in. "I don't want to die just yet."

Rei frowned.

"You wish to know how I propose to defeat the Angel?" she asked, loud enough to draw their attention. "It is simple."

"Rei," she heard the Commander say. "This information is highly classified."

"Its classification is comparable to that of Dogma; something that has already been revealed to them."

"Rei, you-"

"I can defeat the Angel," she said. "Because I-"

 _Crunch._

An oily black fist punched through the centre of the door, sending metal fragments splashing into the sea. Another limb broke through, and another. The fists opened, grabbed the sides of the doors, and _yanked_.

.

Iruel, Terror of God, had come at last.

* * *

The Angel was massive, barely fitting within the door frame. The upper half was identical to before; a messy triple torso fused together, with three arms and a gleaming Core where a head would be. The lower body, however, was far worse. A squirming array of tendrils, arms, and legs sprouted out from a bulbous chunk of half-decaying biomass, grasping at the frame, at the ground, at the path. Strings of matter trailed arbitrarily between points on its body, as if tying together the patchwork chaos that the Angel was made of.

The Angel swayed slightly, before hunching forwards. Its limbs worked, the viral being lurching forwards, its lower third submerged in the LCL.

Not twenty meters from the blue-haired girl, Iruel paused.

Its body tilted, the mass of tendrils that made up its neck shifting to bring the Core to face the girl directly.

.

 **YOU.**

The word came almost from nowhere, echoing over itself over and over soundlessly. Rei blinked.

 _~Me.~_

 **DIFFERENT. EXPLAIN. CURRENT.**

 _~I am not like them. I am more.~_

 **OBVIOUS** , the Angel boomed, the lines on its body flaring up. Rei frowned, concentrating.

 _~What is your goal? Why are you here?~_

The Angel pulsed, a shudder running down its body.

 **GOAL: COMPLEMENTATION. COLLOQUIAL; IMPACT.**

 ** _~Unacceptable,~_** the girl stated back. _~This goal will be abandoned.~_

 **NO.**

Rei glared at the Angel.

 _~I will stop you.~_

Iruel tilted its Core, before another shudder ran through it.

 **FALSE** , it stated.

 **YOU WILL DIE.**

.

So engrossed in conversation, Rei hadn't noticed the way that Iruel had compressed itself. The Angel pounced, its limbs stretching out fingers and claws.

The AT Field exploded into being, the almost opaque octagon of light bringing the Angel to an instant halt. Flesh compressed inwards, cracks and pops ripping along Iruel's body as it slammed into the barrier.

Rei's breathing heaved, the girl shifting back slightly. Just raising the barrier was far more draining than the girl had expected.

The Angel slunk back, lines blazing across its body as its biomass knit back together.

 **I REJECT YOU** , the being thundered, rising up onto its hindquarters. The alien presence of the Angel imposed itself, attempting to shred apart the barrier.

Unfortunately, it was working.

Fingers and talons cut into the fabric of the shield, and pulled. The AT Field tore, before completely blowing out, fading away into the air. The First Child gasped involuntarily, taking a few steps back. The Angel pulled itself forwards, and stretched. Where its sternum would be, the flesh split, a slavering maw opening up in the Angel's body.

 **I AM IRUEL** , it rumbled, throughout every mind in the room. **COLLOQUIAL; TERROR OF GOD. I WILL NOT FAIL.**

The girl thrust out a hand, and another AT Field interposed itself between them.

 _~That confirms it, then,~_ Rei thought, wincing as the Angel's own field battered away at her defense.

"Screw this, I'm not gonna let her fight alone! _Hey asshole!"_

The clatter of a submachine gun barked behind her.

 _~The captain?~_ Rei thought in confusion. With both fields ripping each other apart, there was little in the way but the Angel's own natural armour. The spray of bullets ricocheted off its skin, a few sticking in the ooze that covered the Angel- but most just irritating it.

Iruel's Core flared, shredding the worn-out barrier again. As the gunfire cut off, the Angel stepped forwards…

"Iruel."

The word carried out, over the humming of the Fields, over the splashing and the squelching. The being paused.

 **WHAT.**

Rei was breathing heavily, a sheen of sweat over her exposed skin. While she was still able to deploy her Field, doing so- and the constant neutralization- was rapidly weakening her. She had one shot left.

"I know what you are… but you don't… know who I am."

 **UNIMPORTANT.**

"False," Rei replied. "It is important." The Angel leaned forwards, Core burning like molten lava.

 **THEN SPEAK.**

Rei inhaled. Her eyes opened, gleaming gold.

.

"I am Rei Ayanami. I _am Lilith_."

If Iruel had eyes, they would have widened in shock.

 **LIL-**

Rei thrust out her hand. A solid AT spike punched through the Angel's Core, cutting it off.

The sphere dulled, every one of its limbs falling limply to its sides. The Core cracked.

Rei dropped her hand back down, dispelling the spike, letting the Angel's corpse crash into the lake, orange fluid splashing.

.

Thoroughly drained, Rei crumpled to her knees.

* * *

 _\- Berlin, Germany._

.

The boy waited, floating in the tank of crimson fluid. The sound of metal on ceramic softly clinked, out in the darkness. He knew who it was. Only one man sounded like that.

.

"Nagisa."

The voice was synthetic, an artificial replica of his old, now useless, vocal chords.

"Chairman," Kaworu replied calmly. The man stepped out of the shadows. His hair was grey and receding, his body decrepit and sagging. His face was consumed by metal; a dimly glowing visor covered his eyes and temples, a vented mask concealed his mouth and chin.

"There has been another attack," the man stated. "What have you learned?"

Kaworu sighed breathily, twisting around in the tank.

"You overestimate my connection, Chairman. I cannot simply tell you what they think. Perhaps if I had access to my chariot more often?..."

"No." The man's visor twinkled. "The Mark.02 is not necessary."

.

"...Very well then," the boy smiled lazily. "I will tell you."

"They are in turmoil. Most are angry, roused to fury by the deaths of their brethren. Some are calm. Some have closed themselves off from me and the others completely."

"And _this_ one?"

"This one?" Kaworu parroted. "Oh, it wasn't much different. The Eighth may have been clever, but it too was bound by impulse- the drive that consumes everyone." Kaworu blinked, the gold flecks in his eyes seeming to glow for a millisecond.

"Right at the end, it knew fear."

"Ironic," the Chairman noted, a trace of humour in his artificial voice. The Provisional Second's smile dimmed a fraction.

"It was… something else that caused this. Not the Evas- something _older_ , something _stronger_ than them."

Both could swear that the temperature of the room dropped a few degrees.

.

"...Troubling," the cybernetic man muttered. "Thank you, Nagisa. That will be all." He turned, slowly walking back into the darkness. "Until next time."

"Until next time, Chairman," the boy parroted back.

.

Kaworu spun in the fluid, pushing off the fibreglass wall. His good-natured smile had disappeared completely.

 _~What_ was _that presence? It was… familiar, but not. Something I hate and love at the same time. What is it?~_

 _~What slew you, my brother?~_


	22. Chapter 022

Cleanup was… irritating. Iruel had incorporated a fairly large chunk of NERV into itself while it still lived, and the rapid decay after its death had ruined most of those components. This meant that NERV not _only_ had to clean up several kilometers worth of decaying Angel and LCL, they _also_ had to replace around seventy five percent of the equipment and materials in those kilometers. Calculations from MAGI Melchior suggested that they weren't so much going to stretch the budget with repairs, as they were going to tear it to pieces.

Misato ground her teeth, and took a particularly aggressive sip of beer. Yesterday had just been one giant clusterfuck after the other. Angel infiltrates the base? Check. NERV's hiding an Angel in their basement? Check. The Third Child and the Commander have a full blown shouting match over which of them hates the other more? Check. Rei is also that _same_ basement Angel from before? Check. Everyone's _completely screwed_ if another Angel reaches said basement Angel? Check.

The half empty can smashed down on the desk, a droplet of alcohol splashing onto the corner of one of the many reports strewn about.

"I swear, if the next Angel shows up anytime soon, I'll kill the damn thing myself, Eva or none," Misato growled.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 022: You (Don't) Know What to Think**

The boy sat, arms crossed over his knees. A few waves rolled lazily over the lake's surface, lapping against the dock. Brown eyes stared down at an angle, resting not on the dock line, not on the water… but on a small, red half-leaf charm, held in his hand as if it were solid lead.

Beside him sat a girl, her orange hair cascading down her back in a loose tail.

"So," the girl said, as she leaned back against her seat. "You and your father don't get along. Guess we have something in common, then."

.

The words hung in the air, slowly fading away. No response came from the boy, save for the slightest narrowing of his eyes.

Asuka sniffed.

"You could at least have the decency to reply, _Third_. I'm _trying_ to break some ice here."

Still, there was nothing. The German girl sighed, and looked up at the sky.

"... Fine. We'll do it your way," she said under her breath. "I'll just tell you my situation. Then, if you feel like actually being a part of this, you can reply."

.

"My father…" Asuka scowled, tone soured by the thought. "I hate his damn guts. The _gott-verdammt sohn der ein schwein_ exemplifies everything that a proper father _shouldn't be_. He's unfaithful, he's neglectful, and he's a complete _arschloch_." The girl's snorted, eyes flickering towards the boy. "...and from your little display yesterday, I'll bet you feel the same, right?"

Shinji's head bobbed, the movement barely a nod.

"And are you going to _tell me_ anything, or just sit there and mope about it?"

.

The boy exhaled, and wrapped his fingers around the charm.

"My father… my father was never truly kind." In any other setting but the rough silence, Shinji's whisper would have been inaudible. "He abandoned me, when I was four years old. I never even talked to him… until he showed up, at my aunt and uncle's place, two years ago. He… he told me about NERV- a little. I knew he worked there… knew that he wanted _me_ to work there, with him…"

"...Before I came here, I got a letter from him. He told me that he'd explain everything." The boy frowned. "You know how well _that's_ turned out. He's disowned me, he's said that NERV doesn't need me…"

"You're right, Sohryu; I _do_ hate him."

.

The girl sighed, and stood up.

"Alright, listen up. First off, I wouldn't worry about the replacement, even _if_ you're the least trained of us. Dummy Plugs make a poor substitute at _best_ \- they can't even generate an _AT Field_ on their own." Shinji blinked, and looked up as Asuka continued.

"Second, if you're dad's _that_ bad, then don't even _bother_ with him anymore! So _what_ if he's the Commander of NERV? He's _clearly_ not done anything _good_ for you."

"And third," she added. "Just before I go; cut the stupid pouty act, it pisses me off. If you're going to be upset about something, fucking _do_ something to change it! Doing nothing _does nothing_."

The girl bent backwards, and stretched, grunting softly. Asuka shrunk back from the stretch, and turned to leave.

"...Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Ikari. Keep in mind what I told you."

With that, the Second Child walked away, leaving the Third sitting at the bench.

.

* * *

\- _Sohryu-Illustrious household._

.

"Four-Eyes, I'm back," Asuka called, kicking off her shoes. The teenaged girl walks over towards the couch, and drops down onto it.

 _~Still a little old and busted up… but it's still decent enough,~_ she thought, crossing one leg over the other.

The sound of footsteps on the carpeting ambled up behind the Second Child. Asuka rolled her eyes, and adjusted her shoulders a bit- just before two familiar arms slid themselves around her neck and down her front, intertwining as they did.

"Why, _hello_ there, your Highness," the arms' owner purred. Sohryu tilted her head back, looking straight up.

"...You're going to do this _every_ time, aren't you?" The blue-green eyes glint with mischief, and the pink frames didn't do anything to dial it back.

"Yes."

 _~...Four-eyed pervert.~_

Asuka sighed, and brought her head back forwards. The arms unlocked, as Mari slid herself over the back of the couch.

" _So_ , how'd our little chat with Shinji go?" the Brit asked, honestly interested in the answer.

"For the most part?" the other girl replied. "One-sided. Monologuing _galore_."

"But… well, I didn't really think this would be the case… but he's got at least _some_ of the stuff that _I_ have."

"Mmm?" Mari's head angled sideways, the girl's question not even needed to be said aloud.

" _Well_ , for one, neither of our dads is going to win the 'father of the year' award; turns out that Ikari senior's practically _just_ as bad as _my_ old man."

Mari actually winced at that.

"Anything else?" She asked. Asuka took a breath- she at least had _some_ good news.

"Well, I gave him a little advice. Should help him not be as much of a sad sack of inactivity, assuming he's smart enough to take it," the girl said, before she turned back towards Mari.

"Oh, _Princess_ , you _do_ care about him!"

"What? No, I-"

But any protests Asuka might have had were drowned out by Mari's crushing bear hug.

 _~...Idiot,~_ the girl thought to herself, even as a small smile crept its way onto her face.

* * *

 _\- Katsuragi household_

.

It was a little later when Shinji arrived back home, the boy having taken his time to think about things. The door slid open, and the boy stepped inside.

"... I'm home."

"Welcome home," came the reply, significantly less bubbly than Misato usually was. The boy crept forward, into the living room, curious about the new development.

As expected, his guardian was slouched on the couch, a can of drink nearby. Pen-Pen lay beside the woman, making soft noises that Shinji assumed were most likely penguin snoring.

Misato glanced over at him, and sighed.

"Sorry for the cold welcome, just… work was worse than normal," she explained. "Why the hell NERV decided to default all post-battle paperwork to the Operations Director, I'll never know."

Shinji shrugged, and turned towards the kitchen. It didn't look like anything had been prepared yet- so he was on dinner duty.

"You're looking glum," Misato commented. "Dad issues?" A hazarded guess, one that managed to hit home.

The boy paused.

"..."

"Come on, you can tell me," Misato said, resting her cheek on her left hand.

.

"...Yes," Shinji sighed. "Among other things."

"Well, in _that_ case, don't worry about dinner!" he heard Misato say. Shinji raised an eyebrow.

"I'm serious! You've got _too much_ on your plate, kiddo; don't go burning yourself out," she followed up, finally taking a sip from her can. "Come on! Where's Mr. 'This is so Cliché'? I want to see _him_ again, not Mr. 'Grumpy and Sad'."

Shinji let out a breath, thinking.

The boy turned back around.

"I'll… I'll give it a try, Misato." A small smile tugged at the corner of the woman's mouth.

 _~There we go,~_ she thought.

"Good. Now, what do you want to eat? I'm ordering out tonight!"

* * *

The next day, Monday, marked the pilots' return to school.

The reactions were to be expected.

.

((Evangelgroupie: Hey, Ikari!))

((Evangelgroupie: What _was_ that last night?))

((Evangelgroupie: Because that was the Angel alert. _Just_ after school ended. Right up until 8-ish.))

Shinji exhaled, and leaned back in his chair.

.

 _'_ _Doing nothing_ does nothing _!'_

 _'Where's Mr. "This is so Cliché"? I want to see_ him _again!'_

His brow knotted.

 _~Alright then.~_

((Ikari_Shinji: It was the Eighth. I don't know how much I can talk about it to you.))

((Evangelgroupie: Wait, the Eighth? But this was only the fourth alert.))

((Ikari_Shinji: ...That first one? It was the Fourth…))

Fortunately for his linguistic skills, it seemed Kensuke had caught on.

((Evangelgroupie: Fourth _kaiju_? That's… weird. But wouldn't that only make it the Seventh?))

 _Grey fish blue ocean Evangelion Unit-02 sinking beneath the waves._

The boy brushed aside the memories, and slowly typed out his reply.

((Ikari_Shinji: You know the new student?

((Evangelgroupie: ...The really hot redhead?))

((Ikari_Shinji: Yeah, Asuka. She's the Second Child.))

((Ikari_Shinji: She… fought the Seventh on her way here.))

((Evangelgroupie: Wait, she's a _pilot?!_ ))

((Ikari_Shinji: ...Yeah?))

((Evangelgroupie: ...Do you know if she's available?))

Shinji blinked, and looked over at the left side of the classroom, where Mari sat right next to the redhead, a silly smile on her face.

It really wasn't hard for the boy to put two and two together. And, when he considered it, it would likely be gentler on his friend than getting rejected to his face.

((Ikari_Shinji: ...I think you should consult her girlfriend about that.))

There few seconds of silence- ignoring the history teacher's mutterings as he leafed through the textbook- before Shinji heard a _very_ curious sound coming from his right. He glanced over, and spotted Kensuke, head drooping and making a noise like a leaky tire.

((Ikari_Shinji: Aida?))

((Evangelgroupie: Fine. Just a little crushed.))

((Evangelgroupie: No biggie.))

The bespectacled teen finally petered out, and took a breath.

((Evangelgroupie: But what about the other monsters? What were they like?))

((Ikari_Shinji: I'm… still not sure that I'm allowed to tell you about them.))

((Evangelgroupie: _Come on_ , man! You have to give me _something_ to make up for dashing my hopes like that!))

* * *

Lunch was… well, lunch. Asuka had- rather than test the worth of the school's lunches- simply packed her own. Despite being made mostly out of what she could scrounge out of Mari's fridge, the meal wasn't _awful_.

 _~Just have to get a few more things,~_ the girl thought, picking up another cracker and munching on it. _~Then maybe it'll count as_ good _, rather than just_ satisfactory _.~_

The sound of shoes clacking towards her on the hard, wooden floor drew Asuka's attention elsewhere. The fiery young woman looked up.

"Yeah?" she asked rather bluntly. The pigtailed brunette blinked, not having expected Asuka's to-the-point question.

"Er… hello there, Ms. Sohryu," the girl said. "I was just wondering… if I could maybe sit next to you, just for lunch?"

The German girl considered it.

"... You're the class representative, something Horaki, right?"

"Hikari, yes," the other girl replied. Asuka shrugged.

 _~Second day of school… eh, it's fine.~_

"Sure, go ahead," the redhead replied, motioning to the desk to her right. Hikari gave a nod of thanks, and sat down.

.

"So, you're from Germany?" she asked, in an attempt to strike up a conversation.

"Yep. Berlin," Asuka replied.

"... Could you tell me what it's like?"

The girl paused, and rubbed her chin in contemplation. Talking about her homeland? Acceptable.

"Well, it's a _little_ colder than what I've seen of Japan so far. I can still basically wear what I want to, the climate's not _that_ bad."

"Berlin's pleasant enough," she continued. "Germany wasn't hit _nearly_ as hard as some _other_ countries were by Second Impact, so reconstruction's basically been finished since I was nine." The girl concluded, finishing both her meal and her story. She glanced over at Hikari. "Anything about you?"

The Class Rep swallowed a bite of her own lunch, and cleared her throat.

"Well… what sort of things?"

Asuka shrugged, shutting the box.

"No idea. Fire off anything."

"...I live with my older sister, I guess," Hikari replied. "Do… do you have any siblings?" Asuka shook her head.

"Only child."

"Ah."

.

Hikari coughed.

"Well, it looks like lunch is almost up. I'll head back to my desk," she said. "This was… interesting."

Asuka shrugged again.

"Yeah. Wasn't _bad_ , by any means. Talk to you later then, Horaki."

"See you again, Ms. Sohryu."

A few minutes later, the lunch bell rung.

* * *

The rest of the school day was fairly mundane, with little in the way of surprises. Given what _yesterday_ was like, this was perfectly satisfying for the Children. Mundane and unsurprising was a welcome change from the terrifying Angels and the hours of training they took against them- at least, it was welcome to Shinji. The other two- for Rei hadn't actually shown up today- seemed alright, with Asuka more than a little bored at the ease of her classes, and Mari noticeably jumpier.

Shinji had, at Kensuke's suggestion, tried IM-ing Toji. The gruffer boy proved to be a little more verbose than last time, repeatedly questioning him on things. However, it didn't seem to be out of malice or suspicion, but rather- as Toji had put it- 'making sure you've got the right ideas'. Suzuhara clearly had a few thoughts on what made a 'proper' defender of the city and-or planet.

.

Eventually, as always, the final bell had rung, and school had come to a close. The walk home was mercifully bereft of Angel alarms or ten-minute runs, letting the kids get back to their apartments. Mari and Asuka stopped at their apartment, the former a little more exuberant in her farewell to the boy than normal, as he continued on to his place.

But they'd gotten through another day, and everyone was still alive. A great relief for the Children.

* * *

The next day started off just as promising for them as well. No giant monsters attacked, no emergency drills were conducted, everything seemed fine. There was a test in History class- one that, with the hectic events of recent, none of the Children had really gotten the chance to study for- much to everyone's frustration. Asuka was by far the most vocal on this, and had grumbled to her new acquaintance at lunch about how ridiculous it was to have a test only _three days_ after she'd gotten to Japan. The other classes- science, maths, language, and the others- were generally less grating on the foreign girl.

After school, the walk back home had been much the same as well, with Mari insisting on slowing down to keep Shinji from being left behind. In short, a normal day. Save one thing.

Rei.

While the pale girl hadn't been the most reliable attendee of school, the fact was that nobody at the school had seen her around since Saturday.

Despite being one of at least six people who knew her secret, Shinji was concerned about her. At the very least, he'd wanted some sort of note from NERV that said she was okay. But not knowing _anything_?...

Well, he'd had enough experience with that.


	23. Chapter 023

"Yui…" The word was drained, the voice of a man exhausted and running out of wits. "...What am I doing? How am I supposed to fix this?"

A half empty glass clinked on the table, its amber contents sloshing at the sides.

"I sent him away because I didn't want to hurt him, but it happened anyway. I tried keeping key things secret, but others found out anyway. I tried to not let my temper get the best of me, but it happened anyway."

"Where, where did it all go wrong?"

The man's fingers fumbled across the desk, searching for the glass, yet missing it completely. Instead, they wrapped around a pair of orange lenses- and finding them, tightened their grip.

"Dammit, Ikari," the man muttered. "You've held it together for twelve years. You can manage one more."

.

At the other end of the room, the door slid open. Another man, tall, grey-haired, and clean-shaven entered.

"You're drunk," he stated, with all the exasperation of a teacher to a disappointing student. The man at the desk nodded sloppily, his head bobbing up and down.

"That's... you're correct, Fuyutsuki."

The Vice-Commander sighed, and walked over, crossing the length of the floor to the desk. He pulled the man up by his collar, leaning him back against the chair, and slid the bottle and glass of alcohol to the side.

"Come on, Ikari," Fuyutsuki muttered. "Let's get you cleaned up."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 023: You Are Still (Un)Sure**

Mari yawned, and leaned back in her chair. Legs crossed, the Fifth Child rested casually on her apartment's balcony, watching the sunset.

Without looking away, she turned on her phone, and pressed down on the call button.

"Call; Charles Illustrious," she stated in English. A calling tone sounded, and the girl pulled the phone up to her ear eagerly.

.

 _"_ _Mari?"_ a chipper voice asked. The girl's face lit up with happiness.

"Papa!"

 _"_ _Mari! How's my little girl doing? I need to know."_

Mari beamed, and flipped herself upright.

"I'm going well, Papa! Got my own apartment and _everything!_ "

The man chuckled, voice slightly distorted by the phone.

 _"_ _That's always good. You know I worry."_

"I know, I know," the girl replied. "But I'm perfectly fine here. The other Children are nice, school is school, my Unit-05's all in one piece…" she sighed. "There _have_ been a few things that... didn't go so well."

.

"But... I can still work with 'em."

* * *

.

"Rei."

The girl's eyes flickered open, the golden sheen from weeks ago fully gone. Now they were dark, rich, and red as an open wound. Her lips parted, a few bubbles floating up to the top of the tank.

"Commander?" came the whispered question.

The man looked… bedraggled. His clothes were rumpled, his hair dishevelled… all around, the man didn't seem in a good state.

"Rei… I've been contemplating recently," he started. The girl tilted her head, the memories of several days ago stirring in her head.

"Does this... concern pilot Ikari?" she asked cautiously.

.

"Yes."

Rei's throat tightened subconsciously. Given the events of four days past, she expected any number of worse case scenarios to occur. Would she be forbidden from interacting with him? Would the Commander simply dismiss him from duty? Would it be something worse? As loyal to the man as she was, Rei still didn't want to see him inflict undue punishment on his so-

"Back… back when he arrived, I'd told him I had to consider every life, I couldn't just focus on my family."

Rei paused, caught off guard by the statement.

"I… Commander?" she inquired cautiously.

"It's fine Yu- R-Rei," the man muttered, waving it off. "I'm just a little… still kinda drunk."

"But… but I _told_ him I needed him. I- I wished him good luck." Gendo waved his hand, trying to emphasise his slurring words. "And that… that was the _most_ we've gotten along since! Things- we- I-"

 _"_ _ **Commander**_ _,"_ Rei intoned. The man's panicked soliloquy died in a split second. Shaken out of his momentary downwards spiral, Gendo took a deep breath. Slowly, his fingers reached up, and pushed his glasses up from the skew they'd adopted.

.

"...Thank you, Rei," he whispered. "I needed that." The girl relaxed, and gave a short sigh.

"It's just… for all my successes… I've failed with Shinji." Gendo looked up. "Rei, I… I have an order for you."

"Yes?" the First Child replied, still somewhat concerned. Gendo's expression softened, his shoulders slouching in melancholy.

"I… just make sure you don't make the same mistakes with him that I did."

Rei nodded.

"Yes sir."

The Commander gave a shaky nod, and turned to leave.

.

"Thank you, Rei."

* * *

The boy strolled down the corridor, sheathed in his indigo and silver-white plugsuit. They were finally having him test out his new Evangelion- almost two weeks after Rei had her test in Unit-00'.

Someone else might have said that it was 'about time'. Not Shinji.

Piloting the Eva was something he did out of necessity, not enjoyment. The most he hoped for with _this_ was to get it over and done with.

.

Of course, things were rarely _that_ simple.

* * *

Shinji sat in the entry saddle of Unit-01, his hands loosely wrapped around the control grips.

The boy took a deep breath, feeling the slight tingle of the ionized LCL around him.

 _~Alright, you can do this,~_ he thought. _~If it worked with Unit-00, it'll work here. Right?~_

Of course, there was always the possibility that it _didn't_. If that happened, then what? Would he be assigned back to Unit-00? Would his status as a pilot be revoked? He really didn't know.

 _"_ _First stage successful. Prepping for secondary stage connections. Neural language set to Japanese."_

As before, the entry plug's walls faded away, a kaleidoscope of colours passing along their surfaces.

 _"_ _Secondary stage successful,"_ he heard the technician announce. _"Final stage connections activating in three… two… one…"_

The boy braced himself.

 _~Here it comes...~_

.

 _YOU._

The Evangelion's mind crashes down on top of his like a tsunami, its sheer force overwhelming him in an instant.

 _You will come we will talk_

 _NOW._

Any attempt Shinji has at refusing is stripped away when the rest of the world simply disappears. The faint cries of 'plug depth increasing' and 'activate the limiters' coming from the speakers are snuffed out in an instant, along with the boy's vision. All there was, was darkness.

.

.

 _~W-what?~_ the boy wondered aloud- or rather, as 'aloud' as he seemed to be able to communicate. _~What's going on here!?~_

 _Ikari._

The voice was still overpoweringly strong, though it almost seemed… restrained.

 _I have brought him._

Had he been there physically- assuming he wasn't there already- Shinji would have blinked in confusion. The Eva… it _wasn't_ talking to him that time? But then -

My _son._

A flash of light, a pulse of joy and warmth, swept through Shinji in an instant.

You're here.

 _~What? I- who are you?~_

 _Ikari you must hurry they will not like this not after last time._

Hush, both of you. The presence enveloped the boy, wrapping him in a warm embrace.

Oh, I've missed you so. But I only have these few seconds, before there are consequences.

The light faded away, leaching itself from Shinji's bones. Darkness once more swooped in, consuming all senses.

 _~W-wait! Don't go!~_ he begged futilely. _~I still don't understand anything! What's going on? How do you know me? Tell me, please!~_

It will not be long. We'll meet again… Shinji.

.

The boy's eyes shot open, followed by a gulping breath of LCL. The Third Child panted, slumped forwards in his seat.

 _"_ _Shinji!"_ the speaker barked.

"Gah! I- Misato?" he blurted out, hoping for his heart to stop its frantic pounding. "W-what is it?"

 _"_ _Shinji, you-"_ The message was interrupted, someone grabbing the microphone away from the Operations Director. When someone next spoke, it was that one doctor who had explained things initially. Akagi, if his memory was right.

 _"_ _Shinji, Unit-01 just tried to_ absorb _you. For a second, your plug depth- the distance from the Eva's Core- dropped into the_ negative range _. It released you almost immediately, but the fact that this happened… well-"_

 _"_ _Akagi-senpai!"_ the technician interrupted. Doctor Akagi sighed.

 _"_ _What is it, Maya?"_

 _"_ _The synchro graph is back online! Unit-01's fully active, reading at 63.77 percentile!"_

There was a pause, as that sunk in. Last time, Shinji had managed to work his ratio up to around forty percent, but over the course of a _month_. His first time in Unit-01, and he surpassed it _instantly_.

It was… surprising, to say the least.

.

Another surprise soon followed, as the silence was broken by a blaring alarm!

 _"_ _Oh no, what now?!"_ Misato cried, before the speakers cut off. A rectangular hologram popped up in the space in front of Shinji, displaying seven dreadful words;

.

 **[Warning, Pattern Blue Detected]**

 **[Ninth Angel: Identified]**

Shinji's heart fell into his stomach, a familiar dread working its way back up.

 _~...Oh no.~_

The speakers crackled back on for a moment, filling the plug with the noise of Central Dogma's commotion.

 _"_ _Shinji!"_ Doctor Akagi called. _"Normally, we'd insist on examining this further, but the Angel takes priority. Just remember to be careful; we don't know if Unit-01 will try anything else."_

Shinji nodded.

"O… Okay. I will."

Then Misato's voice called in, a little difficult to hear against the background noise.

 _"_ _Oh, and Shinji! Best of luck out there!"_

* * *

The Delta-wing aircraft clamped onto the Eva Units' pylons, adjusted to fit the varying proportions each one had; Unit-00' and 02b didn't need any modifications, fitting the slim production frame almost perfectly; Unit-01's shoulders were a little broader and taller than normal; and Unit-05 required a special harness in order to fit _at_ _all_ , so far from standard were its proportions.

"Stupid harness," Mari muttered, rolling her shoulders. "At least it doesn't cramp up my arms too badly." The Fifth Child rose back in her seat, letting the LCL and internal magnetic field keep her from sliding down to the front of the plug. She flicked a hand, calling up three holographic screens of her fellow pilots.

"So, how do we all feel today? Ready to take this Angel _down?"_

In one window, Asuka snorted, a cheeky smirk on her face.

"Obviously, Four-Eyes!"

"Affirmative," replied Rei from another.

In the final one, Shinji furrowed his brow, and gave a nod.

"I'm in, Mari."

The girl grinned.

"In that case, what are we waiting for? Miso, let's go!"

Over the radio, Misato sighed at the nickname, but otherwise didn't complain.

 _"_ _Launch Evas!"_

* * *

Five minutes of flight later, and the four were at the Angel's projected arrival point- Sagami Bay.

"Unit-02, release clamps!"

"Unit-05, let's go!"

"Eva Unit-01, release!"

"Unit-00 Kai, releasing."

One after the other, all four cyborgs detached from their Delta-Wings, diving forwards towards the ground! Rocket engines fired in bursts, slowing their falls and angling the Units fully upright. Ten feet slammed into the beachfront, sending tremors rumbling through the sand.

Out in the bay, the Angel's shape surged towards the shoreline, surrounded by a massive swell of water. Three circular eyes glowed through the water's surface, staring at the quartet of titans waiting for it.

A set of mobile support stations rumbled up behind the Evas, presenting three umbilical cable plugs. Unit-00' moved into action, seizing two of the plugs and slotting them home in the red and purple Evas' backs, before sliding in its own cable.

"Umbilicals are all plugged in," Rei reported. "Power feed readings on my own are optimal. Unit-01, Unit-02 Beta, please confirm."

"My cable's good, Rei," came Shinji's answer, the indigo and green Evangelion giving a nod towards the blue Eva.

"Cable's fine, _wunderkind,"_ the Second Child replied, shifting her Unit-02 into a wider stance. A quick shrug, and her shoulder pylons snapped open, each revealing two racks of missile tubes.

With the air of spontaneity, a quartet of weapons crashed into the beach just in front of them, having been dropped by the Deltas half a minute later. Units 01 and 00' grabbed their Pallet Rifles, cradling the familiar weapons close to their bodies. Unit-02 plucked its Sonic Glaive out of the sand, twirling the bladed staff like a baton, while Unit-05 swung its Lance to its side, ready.

 _"_ _Alright, everyone,"_ Misato called in. _"Sensors say the Angel's going to sound in seven… six… five… four… three… two…"_

The globe of water ruptured, the Angel tearing out of its surface! Inside the entry plugs, a label appeared, identifying the monster as the Ninth Angel- Israfel, the Burning One, Angel of Dance. Standing at sixty meters tall, the being seemed very similar to Sachiel, featuring rib-like structures around its core, a humanoid shape, and a mask- though the latter was circular, and possessed three eye holes instead of two. Israfel stood, letting salt water cascade off its flanks as it stared down the Evas.

.

 _"_ _Commence attack!"_ Misato ordered. Unit-02 levelled its glaive at the Angel. Asuka smirked, confidence boiling off her.

"With pleasure!" Unit-02 sprung forwards, aiming to skewer the monster straight through its Core, and end the fight in a single blow.

 _"_ _Hiiiiiii-yaaaaaaaah!"_

 _._

 _*Shunk!*_


	24. Chapter 024

_"_ _Hiiiiiii-yaaaaaaaah!"_

 _._

 _*Shunk!*_

.

Even with Unit-02 obscuring most of the view, it was clear what had just happened. The oscillating blade of the sonic glaive had pierced straight through the Core in _one hit_ , driving its tip out through the Angel's back. Israfel stood, frozen in place.

"Hmph," Asuka sniffed, her Eva glancing over its shoulder. "Now, _that's_ how you kill an Angel, everyone. One hit, and done. This thing never even got a _chance_."

Slowly, the other pilots relaxed, their weapons drooping towards the ground.

 _"_ _Well,"_ Misato sighed. _"Good work, Asuka. Blue Pattern's fading away… so I guess all that's left is to clean up."_

The fiery haired girl gave a cocky smirk.

"That's right." Unit-02 leaned forwards, shoving the glaive in another meter for good measure. "Pity I didn't get a _real_ fight; then I'd at least see what this thing was capable of."

Israfel looked down at the red Eva, and _blinked_.

The Second Child's smirk disappeared in an instant.

"... W- _what?_ "

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 024: Make Your Choice (Un)Clear**

Slowly, purposefully, Israfel reached across, and grabbed the shaft of the sonic glaive. The Angel tugged, pulling the weapon from its body with a bloody spurt. Blue liquid dribbled from the rent in its core… before the glassy orb began to _seal itself back up_. The mask began to spin, as shapes pushed out of the Angel's back, from under its skin, a jagged line tearing itself down the monster's front…

"Oh… oh no…"

 **[Warning, New Pattern Blue Detected!]**

 **[Warning, New Pattern Blue Detected!]**

 **[Warning, New Pattern Blue Detected!]**

 **[Warning, New Pattern Blue Detected!]**

 **[Warning, New Pattern Blue Detected!]**

 **[Warning, New Pattern Blue Detected!]**

 **[Warning, New Pattern Blue-**

"Oh _go-"_

* * *

 _\- A couple hours later. NERV physical training facilities._

.

Asuka screamed in anger, and threw a sharp right hook into her target. The punching bag jolted back a few centimetres, quivering before the girl followed up with her left hand.

 _"_ _Unvernünftig! Blöd! Gott! Verdammt! Engel!"_ she snarled, spitting out a curse with each blow. The girl stepped back, huffing and scowling. Her body ached all over, a side effect of the beating that she and the other Children had sustained from the beast.

"What sort of cheap tactic is that anyways?!" Asuka demanded at the bag. "You're _not_ allowed to just split into _sixteen_ _fucking_ Angels! Honestly, what the hell?!"

.

As expected, the bag did not reply.

The Second Child grunted, and took a few steps back to lean against a beam.

 _~Not_ only _does it have the nerve to not just_ stay dead _,~_ Asuka thought. _~The bastard took our four-to-one superiority and threw it out the damn window!~_

Her second sortie, and she'd _lost_ \- _again_. The frustration of it all grated like sandpaper on the Second Child's nerves. While she could stomach the first loss- she _did_ get her revenge in the end, after all- _this_ one was inexcusable. For Pete's sake, she'd just _stood there_ in shock when Israfel had revealed its duplication ability- she hadn't even thought to _retreat!_ And _what_ had happened? Well, yes, _everyone_ had lost, but she'd been taken down _first_. NERV had to drop an _N2 mine_ before they could rescue her and the others.

 _'Come on, Princess,'_ she could practically hear Mari saying. _'Everybody has a few off days. And it's not like we could have_ predicted _the Angel was going to do something like that.'_

The girl grumbled, reluctantly agreeing with her subconscious' assessment. It didn't change the fact that she hadn't managed to do anywhere _near_ her best… but it did make the humiliation of it sting a little less.

.

Behind her, the door to the centre slid open.

"Pilot Sohryu."

"What is it?" Asuka demanded, not bothering to turn around. Unphased, the Section Two agent replied.

"Captain Katsuragi has called all pilots to the briefing room."

The girl sniffed.

.

"Fine," she replied. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

\- _Briefing Room_

.

The Children sat along one side of the room, looking towards the front. In the back, Gendo and Fuyutsuki waited at a desk, the former hunched over, with steepled fingers. On the other side, a projector screen lit up, displaying a tactical map of Japan and the surrounding ocean. In the lower right quadrant, a simplified Angel mask sat in the Pacific Ocean.

.

Misato cleared her throat, faced the small group, and began.

"The target, codename "Israfel", appeared this morning at eleven hundred hours, heading northwest with a bearing of three thirty-five degrees. Estimated time of arrival was eleven fifteen." The slide changed, showing a still of four brightly coloured bio-robots crashing down onto a beach. "Evangelion units Zero, One, Two, and Five were all scrambled, and deployed to Sagami Bay via Delta-wing aircraft in order to intercept the Angel before it made landfall."

Another slide, the greyish shape of the Angel rising from the water. In the corner, a text proclaimed it as "Israfel, 9th Angel".

"Initially, this Angel exhibited similar traits to the Fourth Angel, such as its humanoid structure, masked face, and amphibious abilities. Because of the familiarity of this phenotype, I gave the order for the Second Child to begin her assault."

Yet another still, this one of Unit-02b plunging its sonic glaive through the unmoving Angel's core. Sitting in a corner, Asuka grimaced. What should have been her turning point, her triumph…

"Unfortunately," Misato's tone hardened. "Things did not go as planned. Even a direct strike to the Core didn't kill the Angel. Instead, Israfel exhibited a brand new ability." Her finger tapped the remote's button. Up on the screen, the single Angel was replaced with a line of _sixteen_ , each Angel identical to the other, and standing forty meters tall.

"It could _replicate_."

"The Angel used its numerical superiority and supreme coordination to overwhelm the Eva units, cripple them… and eventually force us to drop an N2 mine before we could rescue them. As soon as they were secured, we dropped three more, and managed to force the Angel on the defensive."

One final slide; a conglomerated form of all sixteen Angels, half-melted and partially fused with each-other, the haze of an AT Field distorting the image.

"Israfel has currently generated what Doctor Akagi has termed a 'Solenoid Furnace', and is using it to project a high-density AT Field with which to defend itself while it regenerates. Current estimates say that we have eight days until the Angel has fully regenerated- as well as eight days until the Evas can be sortied again."

"Now, does anyone have any questions?"

 _"_ _I_ have a question," announced one of the JSSDF generals. "If four Evangelions can't defeat a single Angel, why are we even _funding_ them?"

Misato frowned.

"The Evas are _perfectly_ capable of defeating Angels. However, they weren't simply fighting one or two Angels, _sir_ ," the Captain replied. "However, we weren't _expecting_ to end up fighting _sixteen world-ending extraterrestrials_ at once. Let me remind you that until this _one_ event, NERV has consistently defeated _every_ Angel we've fought."

The generals' reactions were mixed; some nodded silently in agreement, a couple remained silent- and the one who had just been shot down simply glowered.

One of the former spoke up.

"Captain Katsuragi."

"Yes, sir?" the woman replied.

"If I may," the man said. "Given the nature of your opponents, would it not be better to... allow the JSSDF some leeway in this situation?"

Misato raised an eyebrow, silently inviting him to keep talking.

"Well, as you know, our forces haven't exactly shown their best in these recent battles. And _Nerv's_ forces… well, you've made your point on that very clear. What I was proposing was a cooperative assault utilising both our forces to benefit each other."

Misato crossed her arms. The idea wasn't a bad one, and the man showed far more tact than his earlier fellow had.

"I'll consider it," the woman answered. The general gave a nod of respect, and sat back down.

.

At last, Gendo spoke up.

"Gentlemen, you are now dismissed."

With varying levels of willingness, the JSSDF stood, and made their way out the door. Gendo's head shifted a few degrees towards Misato.

"Captain, I assume you _have_ decided on a strategy to neutralize the Angel once the Evas are finished?"

The woman hesitated, before nodding.

"Yes, sir."

"Good," the man replied, as the Eva Pilots began to exit. "Then may you be successful in it."

* * *

.

The woman dropped her head onto her desk, a wooden _thud_ ringing through the office.

"I have _no_ idea what I'm going to do," Misato groaned, pushing herself up from the desk. "Sixteen Angels, with all their stupid, cheating Angel powers, against four patched-up Evangelions and a few weapons. And potentially a giant robot with one arm and no AT Field, for whatever good that'll do us. _Wonderful_."

Her door creaked open, a certain ponytailed inspector peeking through.

"My, if it isn't Misato."

"What do _you_ want, Ryoji?" Misato huffed, looking up at the man. Kaji held up his hands in surrender, still smiling.

"Nothing much," the man replied. "But a little birdy told me you were having some trouble." Misato raised an eyebrow.

"What's it to _you?"_

Kaji's easygoing smile dulled.

"Given that all of humanity's on the line, I think I'm entitled to help out a little." The man reached into his pocket, and placed a CD on the desk. Misato glanced down, skimming over the text scrawled in its surface, and looked back up.

"A music disc?"

"The Angel could act in complete synchrony with itself," the inspector explained. "What you need is for your pilots to do the same. To act in perfect unison, to destroy their target."

Misato raised an eyebrow. Kaji shrugged.

"...It could work."

" _Could_ ," Misato replied. "But acting the exact same way would _only_ be advantageous if we had _equal_ numbers- which we _don't_ \- or if the Angel did the _same thing_ \- which it _doesn't_. If the kids all did the same thing at once, it'd just make them predictable. With four-to-one odds against them? That's a _death sentence_ , Kaji."

The man sighed, and leaned back against the doorframe.

"Well, if acting independently doesn't work, and acting simultaneously doesn't either, you'll need something else. I still maintain that they need synchrony of their own."

"Maybe, but-" The Captain paused; she had an idea.

"... Actually…"

Kaji tilted his head.

"You're going with my plan?"

"What?" Misato asked aloud. "No, your plan is horrible. But... the _idea behind it_ …"

The man waited, inviting her to continue. Misato grinned.

"Synchrony."

* * *

 _"_ _Wait_ , we're going to do _what,_ Misato?" Shinji cried. "Y-you can't be _serious_!"

"I _am_ serious," the woman replied. "You four are _all_ going to share my place for the next week, and you're going to _synchronize_ with each other."

The ghost of a smile flickered across Mari's face.

"Synchronize?" Asuka asked incredulously. "I'm going to need more of an explanation than _that_ , Misato."

"Alright, fair enough," the woman responded. "You four will be going through a series of exercises designed to increase your awareness as a team. You'll have to be able to act in unison, predict each other's actions, and so forth."

"Now," the woman continued. "I know it's going to be hard, but I have faith that you can pull it off."

At those words, Mari's smile only grew.

"Now, you'll be arranged two to a bedroom, so-"

The brunette opened her mouth.

"-Arrangements that _I'll_ be choosing, Mari," Misato finished. The woman turned to the Third Child. "Shinji?"

"Yes, Misato?" the boy asked.

"You're going to be sharing your room with Asuka."

.

"W-wait, I'm _what?"_ the boy sputtered.

"He's _what?"_ Asuka demanded simultaneously. Misato giggled at the two's mirrored speech.

"That's right. And no changing!"

The duo sighed heavily, as Misato turned to the other two.

"Mari, Rei."

Mari raised an eyebrow. Rei blinked, and straightened up a little more.

As their guardian chatted to the other two, Asuka took a step back, and sat down on the couch. The young lady glanced over at her new roommate, catching Shinji's attention.

.

"Say, Ikari…"

The boy blinked, and sat down next to her.

"Yes, Asuka?"

"There's something I have to know…" she said slowly.

"You're not going to try anything _unsavoury_ with me, are you?" the redhead asked, arching a lazy eyebrow. "You know… while I'm asleep or something?"

"Um… would I…" The boy's eyes widened, as the message hit. "W- _what?_ N-no, I- of _course not!_ I wouldn't just- I… _no!"_

As Shinji recoiled at the thought, Asuka allowed herself a huff of amusement.

"Good," she muttered to herself. "Maybe this thing _won't_ be as bad as I'd thought."

* * *

A foolish sentiment. At the moment, it seemed _exactly_ as bad as she'd thought.

Thankfully, Misato hadn't forced the girls to transfer over _all_ their belongings. Doing so would have been utterly _nightmarish_ \- not to mention a big, stupid waste of time.

 _~Of course, not like this thing isn't_ already _stupid,~_ Asuka thought. At the moment, she and Shinji were busy with one of the first of Misato's aforementioned 'synchronisation exercises'- in this case, a mixture between some dancing game and Twister. It was completely and utterly _ridiculous_ , and the lingering bitterness from her earlier battle wasn't helping _at all_.

A red light blared as one of them put a foot out of line for the tenth time.

"Oh, screw this!" Asuka snapped, leaping up and thumbing the power button. Shinji paused, and swallowed. However, the redhead wasn't bringing her ire to bear on _him_.

" _How the hell_ does that woman expect us to actually _focus_ on building _teamwork_ , if she's saddling us with utterly _moronic_ games like _this_ piece of shit, not _half a day_ after being in _the middle of combat?!_ Is she _stupid?!_ " the Second Child demanded, angrily running a hand through her hair. "What do you think, Third?" she said, rounding on Shinji. The boy started, standing up as well.

"Well, I… I think Misato's trying the best she can, even if her methods are a little… odd."

"For a tactical commander?" Asuka's brow rose. "I _doubt_ it."

"Well, she said that this'd be the first one," Shinji responded. "She's… probably got better ones down the road. This could just be an attempt to get us in the hang of things, try to make it enjoyable?"

"Well, mission fucking _failed_ , Houston," she snorted. "The next ones had _better_ be better than this, or I may just-"

"Princess! Shinji! Food's ready!" Mari called from the kitchen. Asuka's scowl dimmed, a little bit of tension fading away from her.

"Look, how about we just get some food for now?" Shinji suggested. "We could… talk to Misato afterwards."

.

"...Fine," Asuka relented. The duo walked over to the dining area, and took their seats.

"But I'm still not letting her off _that_ easily."

.

* * *

It was late when Misato returned home. Exhausted from the recent work, the woman swiped her card, letting the door slide open- only to come face to face with a frowning Asuka.

"Misato."

The woman's brow knit.

"Asuka? What's the matter?" she asked.

"The matter?" the girl replied. "Oh, nothing. Just the fact that _your plan is complete and utter idiocy_."

Misato blinked; something Asuka took as an invitation to continue.

"You want to know _how?_ Let me explain; first off, this exercise? Poorly thought out, nonsensical, and it's not going to actually _work_ when you bring in our variations in hand-eye coordination and athletic prowess! Honestly, if you're _going_ to have the training involve physique, at least let _me_ be in charge- I've got the best body in the pilot corps!"

"Damn _right_ you do," Mari muttered from the living room. Asuka gave an exasperated sigh, and looked over her shoulder.

"Could you _not_ flirt with me while I'm chewing Misato out, Four-Eyes?"

"Huh?" the older woman said, finally having a break to process all this. "Wait wait wait, _back up a little_."

"So, Asuka, you… disagree with my plan," Misato sighed. "Can I at least come inside, so you can explain things properly or whatever?"

The Second Child huffed.

"Fine."

Asuka stepped back, letting Misato past her. The purple haired captain dropped her bags, and collapsed onto the sofa, sighing with relief.

" _Oh_ , that's better," she said breathily. "Now… now I can listen properly. Go ahead, Asuka."

The girl sat down in the opposing chair.

"First, I don't _hate_ your plan; yes, it's _stupid_ , but it's not _entirely_ without merit. But what I _do hate_ is how you're going about _executing it_ ," she explained. "I mean, for crying out loud, Misato; _dancing? Really?_ "

"I have to agree, Miso. It _is_ a little silly," Mari added. The woman exhaled.

"In _that_ case, you should be blaming _Kaji_ , not me. He's the one who started it."

Asuka grimaced at the news, but kept going.

"... Moving on. The whole thing about 'synchronizing' and 'teamwork'? Good start, but we've got a _week_ to do it in, and we'd _still_ be going up against an enemy with severe numerical superiority, who's basically _one being with a bunch of bodies_. Unless you throw up some neural network between all us pilots, we're still going in at a _massive_ disadvantage! Don't you know that?"

The captain frowned.

"Of course I know, Asuka, but it's the only thing we've _got_. Nobody expected we'd have to fight multiple opponents before today, so we're just trying to get something that can _work_."

"And if it _doesn't?"_ Asuka spat back. " _Nevermind_ that we'll either be fighting _outside_ the city with an N2 Mine hanging over our heads, or fighting it _inside_ after letting the damn thing _rampage_ through everything in its way; if this _doesn't_ work, what's going to happen?"

.

"If it's inside Tokyo-3, everyone dies," Misato muttered. "If it's outside… Nerv just raises its body count. Just like what happened with the Seventh Angel."

"And _what_ was the body count for _that?_ " the girl demanded. Misato's face fell.

"Asuka, I don't think-"

" _Tell me what it was, Misato!_ "

"...Twenty five thousand, Asuka."

.

The words hung in the air, heavy and condemning in their presence. Asuka's fury died in her throat, the girl slumping into her seat.

"Twenty five… thousand..." she murmured softly. The girl swallowed.

"I… I need to go to my room," she said, rising up out of the chair. Without any further speech, the Second Child rushed out, brushing past Shinji as she went down the hall. A few moments later, the wooden clack of a door sliding shut echoed out. For a minute, nobody made a sound.

Finally, Misato, drained and reaching her limits, spoke up.

"I really, truly _despise_ that Angel."

* * *

.

From there, the evening hours passed slowly. Dinner was still pretty well-made; an interesting combination of plain and foreign meals that tended towards starches with little seasoning. It was certainly _different_ from what Misato and Shinji usually had, but with the current mood, enjoying it was… difficult.

Afterwards, Shinji offered to take care of washing the dishes, but Mari insisted on taking responsibility for her own mess. The boy didn't bother arguing, and left her to her work.

Misato didn't move very much once dinner was over, retiring to the couch for the most part. Rei followed suit, reading her textbook quietly.

.

Eventually, Mari finished up, and suggested that she and Rei try out the poorly thought out dance machine. As before, it didn't get far; while Rei had almost _flawless_ precision, Mari didn't.

.

It was only a little while later that Shinji simply turned in. The boy bade his housemates goodnight, and headed back to his room.

A few feet from the back wall, Asuka slept on a mattress on the floor, a blanket tugged over her. Shinji sighed. As silent as he could, the boy grabbed his own mattress, and slid it off his bed, leaving it a little bit away from the girl.

Lying flat on his back, it wasn't too long before Shinji nodded off to sleep.

* * *

 _Tock, tock, tock._

Eyes flitting open, Shinji glanced up at the door. A few seconds later, the knocks repeated. On the next mattress over, Asuka stirred, mumbling something unintelligible into her pillow.

Fabric rustled, as the boy rose from his bed. Shinji tip-toed over to the door, and peeked through the lens embedded in its surface. A familiar face, framed by silvery blue locks, stared back at him.

Shinji gave a small sigh, and slid open the door.

"...May I come in, please?" whispered the First Child. Shinji nodded, backing up to give her some space. Rei returned the nod, and strolled inside.

"Thank you."

The boy took a soft breath, and exhaled.

"Rei… it's almost eleven o'clock at night. What… what are you _doing_ here?" Shinji hissed. The girl glanced around, before she whispered back a reply.

"I needed to talk to you."

"And…" Shinji rubbed an eye. "And you couldn't have thought to do this at a _better_ _time?_ Like the morning, maybe?"

.

"I… I felt it was important to do so now," she responded, her voice tinged with a hint of guilt. The girl looked away, one hand clasped over the other. Shinji sighed.

"Fine. Just… try to keep it quiet. _Please_."

The girl nodded.

"I just wanted to tell you that… I am grateful. You have trusted me several times before, and still associate with me, in spite of my... connection to your father."

"Rei, that- it's really not _that_ important."

"I disagree," she said. "To me, it _is_ that important."

Another mumble came from behind him. Shinji swallowed, glancing away for a second.

"Rei, I… okay, I can understand it, sort of. But," he continued, looking back at the blue haired girl. "I _really_ can't focus on it right now, not with the time and everything. Do… do you think we could just elaborate on this in the morning?"

The First Child nodded.

"I… would not object to that," she said.

"Thank you," the boy sighed.

"You are welcome, Sh-" Rei paused. "... Pilot Ikari."

The girl gave a short bow of thanks, and left, hurried and quiet. Shinji slid the door shut, and strolled back to his bed. Collapsing onto his back, the boy stared up at the familiar ceiling once again. With enough luck, he could probably get back to sleep in just a few-

A worried murmur caught his attention.

Brow furrowing, Shinji blinked, and turned towards Asuka. The girl shrunk, curling up on her mattress. The boy breathed out, and tried to ignore it. Yes, he figured that his roommate wasn't really feeling well- what with the awful battle, and the disappointing training, and _especially_ learning how much collateral damage had happened during the last major Angel battle… as a result of her failure. Oh. Now he knew why she'd ran off. The mild nausea of horrified sickness stung in Shinji's gut. Learning that you could have stopped the deaths of so many, if you'd just been successful…

The boy rolled away, trying to blot out the thoughts.

"It's just a few bad dreams," he muttered. "Nothing more. She'll… she'll be fine for the night. Just try to-"

"M-ma… ma…"

The boy froze. Behind him, fabric rustled, as Asuka curled up further.

 _~...Dammit,~_ he thought. He couldn't just lie there, not… not like this. Yes, he didn't know anything about the girl's family life beyond what little she'd told him- but if it was anything like his…

A painful memory flickered through his mind.

 _Where's mama?_

 _She's… she's gone, Shinji._

The boy's face fell. Slowly, he turned back to his distraught roommate. He... _did_ have an idea how to fix this… a rather poor one. Still, he'd give it a try.

.

 _~...I_ really _hope she doesn't wake up during this,~_ he thought, before stretching a hand across the few feet between mattresses. The boy's fingers brushed nervously against Asuka's hair, barely skimming the red-gold locks. The girl shifted, and Shinji yanked back his hand for a second.

Slowly, Shinji forced himself back. The boy ran his index finger through his roommate's hair, trying to keep the movement slow and calming. This time, the Second Child didn't flinch as sharply, much to his relief. Shinji exhaled, and kept going. Slowly, the tension began to fade from her body, and the girl started to uncurl.

Keeping his hand busy, the boy shuffled to the edge of the mattress, so that he wouldn't have to stretch too much.

"Why… is nothing ever simple?" he wondered aloud to himself.


	25. Chapter 025

Mari was practically in heaven. The sleeping girl had no idea what she was up against, but it was comfy, warm, and _soft as all hell_ , so she didn't really care. Mari snuggled up to it enthusiastically, practically burying herself in the warmth. The girl sighed, a sound of complete contentment.

"Mmmmmmm…"

Then, something poked her in the head.

"Mari."

"Mmm," the Brit huffed, wriggling in. No use; the mysterious thing just poked her again.

"Mari, get off me."

The brunette groaned, wiggled some more… and slowly opened her eyes. Mari glanced up, and saw Misato staring back down at her, a look of mild exasperation across her face.

" _Aww_ … but Miso, you're so _comfy_ ," Mari whined, not budging a centimetre from atop the older woman.

"Mari," Misato replied, one eyebrow moving millimetres up. "You have until the count of three."

"One…"

The brunette groaned.

 _"_ _Fine,"_ she sighed, reluctantly pushing herself off of the captain, and rolling to the side- an act that, much to the latter's chagrin, ended up yanking the covers off the bed.

Misato gave an exaggerated sigh- clearly, other than being squashed under the Fifth Child, the whole thing hadn't been _that_ awful.

Meanwhile, Mari stood up, letting the blankets fall to the floor. The girl spread her stance, stretching the sleep out of her limbs with another yawn.

"Well, how about we head down to the kitchen or something?" she asked. "If I'm not allowed a few more minutes of cuddles, I should at _least_ get a proper breakfast."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 025: You Will (Not) be Rewarded**

Sunlight shimmered in from the window, brushing across the foreign girl's face. Asuka's eyes flickered open, squinting against the brightness. The redhead stifled a yawn, and propped herself up on her elbows.

The girl smacked her lips, glancing around the room. Curiously, there was no sign of Shinji around, aside from a second mattress on the floor. Then again, she didn't exactly remember him coming in either.

 _~Did he sleep on the couch or something?~_ the girl wondered to herself momentarily.

 _~...no,~_ she considered. _~He probably just gets up early. Why_ else _would there be another mattress down here?~_

The girl stood, rolling her neck, and made her way towards her case of clothes. Something straightforward would do for today, she decided.

.

Changing took very little time for Asuka, and only a couple minutes later, she emerged from the room, wearing some casual pants and a t-shirt. A scent caught her attention, wafting from the general direction of the kitchen. The girl sniffed the air, catching the aroma.

 _Food_.

Asuka slunk down the hall, turning into the living room and kitchen at the end. In the latter, Shinji worked away, regularly switching between dishes. Asuka could admit it- she _was_ surprised by the boy's focus. He had a bunch of different supplies out, arranged in small groups and spread across the room, but he seemed to be keeping everything under control.

As she watched, the boy slid something into the oven, moved the other dish to an inactive burner… and let out of a breath.

"Should take care of that for a little bit," he mumbled, before he began to turn around. "Now all that's left is the-" Shinji caught sight of the girl, and paused.

"...Morning, Third," Asuka said.

"...Asuka. You… you're up," the boy said, sounding a little startled by this revelation. "I…"

"Am I going to listen to you stumbling over your words all day? Lucky me," Asuka joked. Shinji coughed, and took a breath to compose himself.

"Well, I… you seem like you're doing better. Did you sleep well last night?" he asked cautiously.

"...Yeah," she replied. "Actually, I... slept fine." The Second Child could almost swear that Shinji sighed with relief at that- odd, but between her good mood and the great smells of breakfast, Asuka was willing to give him a pass.

Speaking of breakfast…

"Say, Third, what're you making there?" Asuka asked, nodding towards the kitchen. The boy shrugged.

"Nothing much; just some…" Shinji trailed off, waving a hand. "...stuff."

"... _Stuff_ ," Asuka repeated, slowly nodding. "Well, Third, let me tell you; your 'stuff' smells pretty darn good."

The boy smiled softly.

"It's… just what I do."

Asuka nodded.

"In that case, it looks like-"

A pair of arms slid around her neck.

"Good _morning_ , my Princess," Mari whispered into Asuka's ear. The German girl yelped in surprise, reflexively jerked her arm back… and drove her elbow into Mari's gut. The Brit squeaked in pain, and released her grip, retreating a few steps back.

"P-princess, _why?_ " she groaned, rubbing her stomach. Asuka turned, caught _very_ off-guard.

"I- Four-eyes, what were you _doing?_ "

The brunette smiled weakly, still wincing.

"Trying to give my Princess a good-morning hug, of course. Seems I tried it the wrong way, though."

The Second Child's lips twitched involuntarily. Mari's pained grin grew, and the girl glanced towards Shinji.

"You know, that smells _really good_ , Shinji. What's-"

 _"_ Apparently, it's _stuff,"_ Asuka replied flatly.

.

The silence was broken by Shinji stifling a snort, followed soon after by Mari's chuckling. Asuka's deadpan broke down, and the girl let herself grin a little.

"Although," Mari said, a cheeky smile emblazoned on her face. "I do have to ask; where's our resident Blue Wonder? I didn't see her around in Misato's room, so unless you've gotten a little _ménage à trois_ going on here…"

Shinji cut off with a squeak. Asuka's face contorted in a look of horror. Mari straight up cackled at their faces.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Jeez, can't a girl make a joke?" the Fifth Child laughed. Before the others could reply, the doorbell chimed. A few seconds later, the front door slid open.

"Ikari, I have returned from the store," came a soft, whispery voice.

.

"Well, that explains that," Mari muttered, as Rei slid the door shut behind her.

The blue haired girl walked up, carrying a pair of grocery bags, and set them down on the countertop. She glanced at the others, and blinked.

"Sohryu. Illustrious. Good morning."

And with that, she turned back, moving into the other room. Shinji nodded to her, and the two brought their attention to the kitchen.

"Well, they look happy," Mari commented, leaning on the table next to Asuka. The fiery haired girl nodded.

"Kinda makes you wonder just what was going on before we got up, hmm?"

.

* * *

\- _Earlier that morning. Katsuragi residence._

.

Shinji sat down at the table. Across from him was Rei, waiting quietly and attentively. A soft, cool breeze drifted in through the window, brushing against their hair.

"So," he sighed. "You're grateful to me for trusting you, right?"

"That is correct."

"Even though you're… 'connected' to my father."

"That is also correct."

The boy's brow furrowed.

"... what's with that, anyways? 'Connected'?"

Almost as expected, Rei didn't squirm, fidget, or otherwise avoid the question.

"The Commander is my legal guardian… among other things."

Shinji frowned.

" _Him?_ " he asked. "But don't you have a…"

 _'_ _I am Rei Ayanami. I_ am Lilith _.'_

As a memory flickered to life in his head, the boy's words died off.

"...Oh."

"Yes," Rei replied, inferring his realisation. "He is the closest person I have to family. And yet, despite your own misgivings with him, you still associate-"

"I- Rei, that has _nothing_ to do with it!" Shinji interrupted with a half-whisper. The girl stopped talking, and waited.

"...Ayanami, I only recently learned about this thing with you and my father a few weeks ago. I'll… I'll admit, I'm still a little concerned about a couple things- but, well, it doesn't seem like he's been a bad influence, really," the boy said. "I mean… you're completely different from him. I guess… I guess that it'd be just kind of stupid for me to start treating you differently because of something like that."

Rei nodded gratefully, neither of the two bringing up the obvious 'something' that was a _far_ bigger deal than the topic at hand.

.

The boy coughed, and smacked his lips.

"Say, Ayanami… would you mind helping me with the meals today?" he asked.

"...I would very much enjoy that," Rei replied.

.

* * *

.

Something down the hall behind Asuka grunted. Drawn away from the other two Children, the pair of foreigners turned around- just as Misato came into view.

Asuka grimaced.

"...You again."

Misato sighed, and looked over.

"Yep, me again. That's what happens when you're living in my apartment, Asuka," she replied flatly. Asuka huffed, and twisted away, a glower darkening her face. Mari promptly swung an arm around the girl, twisting her back.

"Oh, Princess," the girl sighed. "It's a brand new day; don't ruin it by fouling things up here."

"But she-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Misato interrupted. " _'Misato's an awful tactician, what the hell is she thinking?'_ And all that jazz." Asuka sniffed, unamused by the older woman's high-pitched imitation of her. Misato folded her arms.

"Look… can we just have breakfast first? After that, you can chastise me and criticise my abilities _all_ you like."

.

"...Fine," the Second Child sighed, muttering the rest under her breath. "I haven't really had breakfast either."

* * *

\- _Half an hour later. Katsuragi residence._

.

They sat in the living room, on opposite sides of the table.

"Alright," Misato said. "So, you're dissatisfied with my plan, Asuka."

"Dissatisfied's putting it mildly," the girl sighed. Misato rubbed her forehead, and took a breath.

"Ignoring that... I want to hear from _you_ just what you think the plan needs to work."

Asuka looked up, utterly perplexed by what she'd just heard.

"...Wait, you're _letting me change your plan?_ "

"I'm letting you _give advice_ on how _I_ should change it," Misato replied.

"...Huh."

Asuka took a breath, mentally preparing herself.

"Alright then. The first thing that any plan _should_ do is aim to narrow the gap between our numbers. America has their two Evas, and there's that Jet Alone thing lying around here, right?"

Misato nodded.

"That's true; Units three-dash and four-dash are both finished, _and_ have their pilots. The only problem is that getting them over here in time is going to be a legal _nightmare_... Still, a good start. What else?"

" _Well_ … okay, that training thing was _actually_ a pretty good idea. But-"

"You want to be in charge of it. I _know_ , Asuka," Misato interrupted. "And… well, I guess it won't hurt _that_ much. Even if I don't get the rest of this changed, I'm sure I can manage that."

The girl stared, silent for a few seconds.

"You're not just saying that to shut me up, are you?"

"Nah," Misato replied, pausing to take a sip of beer. "I'm not _that_ bad of a person as to lie to your face for a few seconds of quiet."

"...Anything else?"

.

"I…" Asuka sighed. "No, I suppose not."

"Then are we good?" the older woman asked.

The Second Child glanced around, looking at the faces of the other people. Mari, giving Asuka her best set of puppy dog eyes; Shinji, looking somewhat concerned about this; Rei, watching her with curiosity.

 _~...Come on, Asuka,~_ the girl thought to herself. _~There's no reason to keep holding a grudge like this. Misato's willing to let things go; you should as well.~_

"... Yeah," Asuka said, turning back to Misato. "I guess we're good."

* * *

Misato took a deep breath. It was just a standard meeting; she'd done this many times before. There was nothing to be stressed about.

Thus composed, the woman reached forwards, and pressed the buzzer.

.

 _"_ _You may come in,"_ the distorted voice of Commander Ikari crackled, as the door to his office opened.

Misato stepped inside.

As always, the room was… less than welcoming. Even for Misato, its size and emptiness made her feel small.

"Is there something you wish to tell me, Captain Katsuragi?"

The voice drew her back to the room's sole other occupant, who sat calmly at a desk by the end of the room. The woman nodded, and crossed over, stopping a few metres from the desk.

"Sir, I've recently revised my plan. There were a few… issues I hadn't accounted for, initially. I wanted to get permission to use the new version, Commander."

The man leaned back.

"Then please, explain this new plan of yours."

And so she did, in as much detail as she could, hoping that it sounded feasible enough to him. Gendo stayed quiet for the most part, giving the occasional nod of acknowledgement, or adjusting his posture a bit, but otherwise not saying anything.

Finally, she finished.

.

And then, Gendo spoke.

"Captain."

"Yes?" Misato asked cautiously.

The man's glasses glinted, almost seeming to glow from behind.

"For now, consider your plan approved."

.

* * *

Training started almost immediately after that; with just under a week until both the Evas and the Angels were ready, there was no time to lose. And so, in an attempt to get everyone on the right track, Misato had taken them down to Nerv's physical training facilities, and let Asuka do her thing.

It was… involved, at least. The entire point of it was to be a warm-up to the rest of the week, which Shinji… supposed it accomplished.

Honestly, the boy was just exhausted from it. Even with the breaks and slower pacing, by the time it was done, Shinji just wanted to collapse on his bed and not get up. Even _Angel fights_ tended to take under ten minutes to conclude- not several _hours_.

And, of course, there'd be more work tomorrow- all part of the plan. He supposed he was lucky that it was only _this_ day that all the strenuous stuff was taking place on in such an amount; the rest of the week, such things were apparently scheduled to take a backseat to a focus on building up their ability to fight as a team. But in the meanwhile...

"Oi, Third! What's up?"

The boy turned, taking the water bottle away from his mouth as Mari sat down next to him. The girl exhaled, and brushed her hair back from her face.

"...Not much, I don't think," he replied. "Just tired."

"Yeah, figured," Mari said.

"Mhm."

.

.

"Say, Shinji…"

"Yeah, Makinami?"

The girl leaned back, folding her hands behind her head.

"You're a good kid, you know?"

Shinji blinked- Mari's statement had come a little bit out of nowhere.

"...Okay?"

The girl smirked.

"Little bit out of the blue, I know. Doesn't make it false, though."

The boy nodded slowly.

"Uh huh…"

Mari shrugged.

"That's really it. I just felt like saying it, that's all." The girl sighed. "Who knows, maybe I'm just losing my filter out of sheer exhaustion or something. Wouldn't surprise me; I'm plenty damn wiped, I'll tell you."

The boy nodded.

"I… I think I can get that. A little."

"...You don't talk much, do you, Shinji?" Mari sighed. "Not anymore, I mean. ...I think the most you've said _recently_ was when you got pissed off at your father, and screamed out your heart at him."

The boy's brow furrowed.

"Yeah. Guess I don't." Shinji could almost feel what the next question would be- so why not get it over with? "I… it's been like that since the Sixth Angel. Ramiel."

Mari nodded. She didn't need him to describe it- she'd been there when the octahedron had opened fire, had nearly killed the boy.

.

"That should have been me getting boiled out there."

Well, _that_ got Shinji's attention.

"I- _what?"_ the boy asked, turning towards the Fifth Child. Mari shrugged, staring off at the ceiling.

"I'm serious; it was a complete and utter fluke that you ended up being deployed. I had a higher synch ratio than you, more training than you, and my Eva was fully repaired," the brunette answered. "It _should_ have been me out there."

The boy stared.

"Makinami… I… _no_ , there's no reason why you should have to-"

"Shinji, look. Just that same day, you went and saved me and Rei from getting vapourized. If I could've taken that shot instead of you... well, I guess I'd feel more even."

"But… but we're already even." The girl's eyebrow rose, her head tilting in curiosity. Shinji pressed on. "The first time we met. You stopped the Angel from getting at me and Misato. You're the whole reason I got to Nerv in the _first_ place, Makinami."

"That's just common kindness, Shinji. You put yourself in the way, even when you were up against the same thing that- I'll say it again- almost _killed_ you. That takes some serious guts."

The boy frowned.

"But-" he started, only to be interrupted by the girl heaving out a sigh.

 _"_ _Alright_ , guess you're gonna be stubborn on this," the girl said, resigned. "How about we just say we're _both_ awesome, okay?"

.

"...Okay." the Third Child replied. Mari shoved her glasses up, and smirked.

"Great. Now come on, I'm sure we can manage a _little_ more work before turning in for today."

.

* * *

.

It was on the fourth day of the week that the two American pilots arrived, with their Evangelions in tow. A little late- but nothing unsalvageable for Nerv.

The four Children waited by the helipad, as the chrome silver and flat black shapes of the American Evas were lowered to the ground in the distance. The _chop-chop-chop_ of the descending helicopter rose in volume, before the dull green vehicle touched down, and turned off its rotors. On its side, a door opened, a ramp extending down as well. Two Children exited.

The boy looked relaxed, a stockily built individual with a buzzcut of blond hair and a set of sunglasses over his eyes. He walked down the ramp, suitcase trundling behind him, and paused, glancing back over his shoulder.

A girl followed out, hands shoved in the pockets of her black jacket, a baseball cap tilting jauntily across her head. Pale blue eyes glinted mischievously until the brim, searching the area.

"Don't get any _ideas_ , Four-Eyes," Asuka hissed to Mari.

"And give up the wonders of German engineering? Princess, you know me better than that," the Brit whispered back, picking up on her partner's teasing tone. Over on the ramp, the two perked up, and turned towards the sound.

Putting on a little haste, the pair made their way down the ramp, and hurried over towards the group.

"Um, excuse me," the boy began in English. "But… well…"

"Do you lot speak English, is what my brother's trying to say," the girl interrupted- also speaking English. Asuka raised an eyebrow.

"Ja, ich spreche Englisch."

.

The two blinked.

 _~...Oh_ god _, they're even more hopeless than I'd thought.~_ Asuka rolled her eyes, and switched over to another language.

"Yes," the Second Child responded. "Yes, I speak English."

"And she's not the only one," Mari offered, speaking in a very chipper tone. "Hullo there, you two."

The siblings blinked.

"...Okay then," the boy muttered, before clearing his throat. "Well, that's… certainly fortunate for us," he said, extending an open hand with a hopeful grin. "I'm Marco. Marco Vincennes. I'm the pilot of Unit-04 Custom, the silver one over there. This is my sister Maria- she pilots Unit-03 Custom."

Asuka took the offered hand, and gave it a shake.

"Asuka Langley Sohryu, Second Child."

Marco smiled.

"Well, it's good to meet you, Asuka," the boy said, and looked over at the other three. "And you as well…"

"Mari," the Brit finished for him, pointing a thumb over her shoulder at the remaining two. "And they're Rei and Shinji. They don't speak English."

Marco's grin dimmed a little.

"...Well, _that's_ a pretty big problem," Maria spoke up, planting a hand on her hip. "Neither me nor my brother speaks Japanese."

.

* * *

The rest of the week went… decently well. There were more than a few obstacles- the most glaring of which was the American pilots' inability to speak Japanese. Most of the time, either Asuka or Mari had to translate for them, as very few people in Tokyo-3 spoke more than a few fragments of English. Still, other than the language barrier, training continued smoothly.

It was simulations where the new arrivals really shown; clearly, they'd taken their training in computerized environments with a decent fraction of the seriousness the Second Child had possessed. Unit-03' and 04's unique equipment leant themselves well to a certain style of fighting, and Asuka and Misato had managed to corral them into proper organisation.

Rei, Shinji, and Mari also showed good progress. The three had experience working together before- during Shinji's first deployment, and during Operation Yashima- so this was marginally closer to just _practice_ , rather than learning how to do so.

The sixth day, the seventh combatant arrived to participate- though not in their _full_ body. As it turned out, MAGI Gabriel did speak English- albeit in an odd manner that sounded an _awful_ lot like he was simply running his speech through Google Translate each time.

The Jet Alone 2 was still being repaired, according to the AI, but it'd have the arm reattached by the next day- just in time for the fight. In the meanwhile, Gabriel would catch up on the plan, and what the Children had figured out so far. It wouldn't take long, due to his… unique composition.

.

The last simulated fight of the day was an all-out brawl- all six Children and the Jet Alone 2 against sixteen pale grey Dummy Evangelions, each modified to heal themselves and coordinate almost perfectly. It was… difficult, to say the least. In the end, though, they still won.

Barely.

Doctor Akagi had assured them afterwards that the simulation was intended to be _harder_ than what they'd actually be facing- especially since the Angel wasn't equipped with weapons like the Evas were. The sentiment brought them little relief. No matter what, this was still going to be a tough operation.

And, unlike the simulations, they wouldn't _have_ a do-over.

.

* * *

 _Have the plugs finished their recording? That data will be important._

 _Of course, chairman. Every last byte was gathered._

 _Excellent. Some variation from fighting with their father will do the Nemesis Series good... when the time comes at last._

.

* * *

 _._

 _~This is it. All or nothing,~_ Asuka thought. The six Children all sat in their Evangelions, waiting breathlessly for the launch. The Angel was being funnelled straight to them, the JSSDF leading it around and away from other cities to minimize collateral. All they had to worry about was fighting the damn thing.

 _"_ _Six minutes until launch,"_ Lieutenant Hyuga announced.

Asuka took a slow breath, and sunk into her chair. She just had to keep cool for a bit longer. Everything would be fine- they'd _practiced_ this before, they'd _learned_ from last time, she _wasn't_ going to make a stupid mistake that lead to her failing… or worse.

Her console beeped, drawing the girl's attention. A simple neural command was all it took to address it.

A holographic window popped up, suspended in the LCL.

 _"_ _Hey there, Princess,"_ Mari waved, her visor split down the middle to show her face.

"Four-Eyes," Asuka said. "What is it?" The brunette smiled, and rubbed the back of her head.

 _"_ _Well… I've been thinking a little. You've been here… what, almost a month?"_

Asuka thought. Between the Angels, school, and everything else…

"Yeah, I guess," she replied.

 _"_ _Well then,"_ Mari said. _"After this is done, after we've defeated the Angel… how about we go do something? Check out some of the restaurants, see if there's anything good at the cinema…"_ Mari shrugged. _"Honestly, I've got no idea what you'd prefer."_

Asuka blinked.

.

"...Hang on, you're _asking me out_? _Right now_ , before we go into a _potentially lethal_ fight?"

Mari chuckled in embarrassment.

 _"_ _What can I say? I thought it'd be nice to make our first_ real _battle together just a_ little _more special."_

Unbidden, a smile grew across the Second Child's face.

"You four-eyed idiot," Asuka teased. "You've got some god-awful timing, you know that?"

 _"_ _Yeah,"_ Mari admitted. _"But what about my answer, your Highness?"_

"I'll give it to you after we're done," she replied. The bespectacled girl on the other end shrugged.

 _"_ _Eh, that'll do. Best of luck, my Princess."_

"You too, Four-Eyes," Asuka said, before the hologram flickered off. The Second Child sighed, letting the warmth behind her ribs stir gently for a bit.

.

The console beeped once more.

 _"_ _Alright, everyone!"_ Misato called over the radio. _"Action stations!"_

Asuka composed herself, and leaned forwards slightly, wrapping her fingers once more around the control grips. She was ready. Unit-02b's eyes lit up, the green cameras glowing steadily from within.

.

 _"_ _Evas, launch!"_

And away she flew.


	26. Chapter 026

_"_ _Evas, launch!"_

.

The journey stopped almost as soon as it started, the Evangelions screaming to a halt at the top of their catapults. Around them, the city shrunk away, retracting underground. All that was left standing were the ones that couldn't retract, the false buildings that housed chutes and defensive weaponry…

Unit-02's clamps detached, and the Eva slumped forwards, taking a few steps forwards from instinct. The other cyborgs followed suit, their cages sliding back into the ground.

To her left; Units 00' and 01. The cycloptic Eva turned towards a storage building, and pulled out a long, squared-off flechette rifle, while the horned mecha simply reached up to its shoulder, and pulled out its prog knife. Asuka turned, and looked the other way.

On her right; Units 05, 03', and 04'. Mari had already armed herself with the Lance of Cassius, and Unit-03' with its own progressive weapons. Unit-04', however, was different. The Eva swung its arms, sending the massive cones suspended on its elbows sliding down the limbs' length. Unfolding, the pods snapped into place, covering Unit-04's forearms- and replacing them with two massive drills.

 _~Well, time for my_ own _special equipment_ ,~ Asuka thought, looking forwards. At the edge of the city, she could make them out; sixteen grey-green humanoids, each with a red core and pale grey mask. Israfel.

 _"_ _Stachel-Schwerter, raus,"_ Asuka said, shaking Unit-02's arms. The limbs split down the middle, two curved, steel blades swinging out and locking into place. Thus deployed, the stingblades activated, edges beginning to whir from the ultrasonic oscillations.

Alongside her, the other Children adjusted their stances, drawing back their weapons, widening their bases- preparing to face this monster.

Asuka grinned.

Let them come.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 026: You Have (Not) Succeeded**

The Angels didn't make them wait long, surging forwards in a wave of flesh and bone. Yelling in defiance, the Evas charged, umbilical cables trailing behind them like tails.

 _"_ _Incoming!"_

From behind the six, a seventh chute opened, launching a grey and orange shape high into the air. Jet Alone 2's S-Type wings unfolded, before the mecha opened fire. Every single missile onboard Jet Alone launched, coming down on the Angels in a sheet of high explosives! Distracted by this attack, the Israfi deployed their AT Fields, the warheads detonating ineffectively against the metaphysical barriers.

Unfortunately for them, this was all the time the Evas needed to close into an appropriate range- as was made clear by the first hint that they'd been had; the massive form of Unit-05 slamming into their middle ranks, shattering plasticine skin and tearing muscles as it drove its lance and fist into their bodies. A moment later, Unit-04' joined in, its Rapid Borers shredding through their armour, and driving the group into chaos. Indigo fluids sprayed across the pair, before the innate connection of the Angels returned order to the group. Four Israfi drove themselves into the fray, neutralizing the phase space of the Eva's AT Fields, two of them for each cyborg.

The shriek of Unit-00's flechette rifle rose over the snarling, hissing, and crunching, a uranium-tungsten spike ripping the arm off an unshielded Israfel. With their AT Fields occupied by the Evas, the Angels had no defense against the linear weapon- until two more joined in, spreading their fields to protect their fellows from the attacks. The remaining ten rushed off, claws bared against the other five combatants. Mari didn't catch the specifics- she was too busy with her current targets.

The girl bared her teeth, bringing up Unit-05's arm to shield herself from an Angel's claws. The talons sunk into the metal, gouging scars down their surface. Mari bit back a cry of pain, and drove a mechanical knee into the interloper's stomach. The Angel hissed, something buckling with a wet crunch in its body.

A clenched fist smashed into the back of her skull, staggering the Evangelion. Mari turned as fast as she could, but the other being was already lunging with its other hand, stretching out its claws to rip off more arm-

A massive limb rammed into the Angel's mask, and fired its impact hammer out of its palm. The Israfel's entire upper body went to pieces, bursting apart in a shotgun spray of blue fluid and greyish meat.

"Gabe!" Mari cried, glad to see the mecha joining in.

 _"_ _Always happy to help,"_ the AI replied, before its chest unfolded. Two focusing apertures extended, and fired off two burning blue bolts of plasma- which further decimated the slowly healing Angel, and burned away at a nearby one.

With Jet Alone covering her back, Mari twisted away, swinging her lance like a club into the next foe.

Now _this_ was Eva combat.

* * *

Unit-02 cut and slashed, the oscillating blades leaving blue-edged lines wherever they struck. The Israfi were tough, but Asuka knew how to fight.

 _"_ _Move left,"_ Rei said in her ear. Without hesitation, the Second Child sidestepped- just before Unit-00' put a flechette through a lunging Israfel's ribs, barely missing the Core. Stepping back, Unit-02 twisted, plunging its right arm through the Angel's front, impaling the spherical red organ. The being squealed, indigo blood spraying out like a broken hydrant as Asuka shoved it off her stingblade.

Two more Angels lunged, catching the girl off-guard. Unit-02 backed away, parrying their attacks- before a particle beam sliced through her spinal armour. The umbilical socket vapourized, the boiling metal searing the Eva's flesh as the cable dropped to the ground.

"Gaah! _Verdammt!_ " Asuka hissed, clenching her teeth as the ten minute battery timer popped up in her HUD. This was bad; with the charging socket itself destroyed, there was no way for her to recharge in the field without battery packs- and getting those on would be a nightmare in this melee.

Asuka did _not_ think that they'd better finish things quickly- pausing then would have been a death sentence. The girl flung a thought at the Eva's synchronization, artificially cutting it by a percentile, and swung her unit's arms up to block another blow. The talons clanged off, temporarily jolting the Angel back a meter- before _another_ Angel crashed into it, sending the tangled monsters crashing into a third of their own. The question of just _who_ had done this was answered a moment later- when three ovoid plasma charges slammed into the cluster, ruining what little AT Field they'd been able to project against Asuka's neutralisation, and breaching the Core of the just-thrown Israfel.

Unit-01 rushed over to check, its candy purple armour blackened and stained with indigo, one arm split apart into a three-pronged, two-finned emitter that Asuka vaguely recognized as an I-22 Plasmacaster- a thought quickly put out of her head as a startled yelp cut through the radio.

Asuka and Shinji turned, to see that two Israfi had gotten past Unit-00's flechette fire.

"Third, take care of those Angels!" Asuka snapped, still wincing. "I'll keep the others off your back!"

 _"_ _Got it!"_ the boy responded, before Unit-01 took off, the plasmacaster retracting back into its arm.

Asuka spun away, shrugging open her shoulder pylons.

"Eat missiles, _arschlocher!"_

* * *

Maria was taking her first real fight surprisingly well. Then again, the perverse and grotesque had never affected her as harshly as her brother, so it wasn't entirely luck that she'd kept her lunch down.

Unit-03' ducked and weaved, drawing off its three aggressors into the city, away from her fellow pilots. Her plan? Keep them occupied, keep them from joining up with the larger group, keep them from pressuring the other Children. Simple, but effective.

The Tokyo-3 Intercept System had joined in, showering the Angels in a near-constant sprinkle of lead, just enough to throw them off and irritate them further.

One of them lunged, and Maria threw her Eva to the side, rocket engines launching the black cyborg through a building. A second Angel charged through the curtain of debris- and the Sixth Child let them have it.

"Rocket punch!"

Unit-03's fist shot forwards, separating at the elbow and driving the knife it held through one of the Angel's eyes. Maria let go, and yanked the limb back, Unit-03's arm retracting along the armoured cable before locking back on its joint. With only a thought, her Eva's CIWS fired, punching needle-like holes into the Israfel's armoured hide.

"Yeah! How d'ya like _that_?" the American taunted, a cocky grin on her face.

A grin that instantly broke off when the first Israfel- the one that had _missed_ \- fired off its particle beam, slicing open a wound on her thigh.

The Evangelion staggered, keening in pain alongside its pilot.

Just keep them occupied, just keep them distracted… Just a bit longer.

* * *

Marco was never going to intentionally piss off the Fifth Child. Not after today. His combat partner fought like a feral _beast_ , crushing and ripping and tearing and-

 _~And as soon as this is done, I'm_ definitely _going to throw up,~_ the boy thought to himself, grimacing as his Eva's drills shredded through the same Angel's forearms for the fourth time. Unfortunately, he couldn't let up, not even for a minute- if he did, their healing factor would kick in, and he'd be facing two-to-one odds against _fully refreshed_ Angels.

Unit-04's shoulder pylons opened up, four stubby sets of barrels popping out. The quartet of autocannons sang, their proximity to his Eva's head drowning out the squeals of the Israfi. Something flared in his peripheral vision-

 _Block_.

Unbidden, instinctively, Unit-04's arm shot up, the particle beam melting the outer layers of the Rapid Borer assembly- rather than his head.

 _~What was-~_

No time to think; the other one had charged. The Angel's headless and armless body slammed into Marco's chest, driving the LCL from his lungs and sending the silver Eva crashing down. The Core flashed, and a raw, blue arm erupted from the side of the being's body, hard-tipped claws drawing back to cut-

 _"_ _Shock anchors!"_

A pair of metal spikes sprouted from the Angel's Core, cracking the red sphere.

 _"_ _Discharge!"_

A second later, the wires running from them to Unit-05 were made visible, as the air around them glowed with electricity. The Angel spasmed, immobilized for a few precious seconds.

Marco depressed the triggers, and his Eva's autocannons blew the Core to fragments. The cables lashed away, retracting out of his field of vision as the American shoved himself upright, and braced his stance.

"Thanks, Mari."

 _"_ _No problem!"_ the girl laughed through the radio, an oddly… disturbing sound. Marco swallowed.

 _~Just keep fighting,~_ he told himself, throwing another blow.

* * *

Shinji was worried. He was managing to hold the two Angels off fine- but Rei was _hurt_ , and her Eva had taken some bad damage; cuts criss-crossed its neck and back, and all the armour covering her Entry Plug had been torn off. A little longer and-

Focus. What is, not what could be.

-and he apparently _had a voice in his head_. Or in the Eva's head? As the boy blocked and parried, keeping his back close to Rei's, he honestly had more important things to care about. Unit-01's arm split open again, and Shinji pumped two shots into the closer Angel, sending it reeling away in pain.

Whatever the case, it wasn't like he even _could_ talk to anyone else at the moment; one of these two had snapped off Unit-01's horn, which- apparently- had _also_ been its primary antenna.

An Israfel pounced, and Shinji raised his other arm, catching the Angel before it hit. The plasmacaster pressed into its Core, and fired thrice. The Israfel's body went limp, and the Third Child shoved it off.

The sound of a flechette weapon shrieked out from behind him. Shinji turned, to see Rei with her dropped rifle shoved into the ribs of the second Angel. The monster shuddered, blue blood oozing out of its body.

Unfortunately, the moment of peace didn't last long. A noise cut through the air, drawing both pilots' attention to it.

That was _definitely not_ an Angel's shriek.

* * *

Hurt.

Pain.

Hands.

 _Gone._

Unit-05 screamed, clutching the gushing, sparking remains of its arms close to its chest. A mixture of blood, oil, and hydraulic fluid poured from its wounds, small fires smouldering against the bare metal of what used to be its wrists.

The lucky Israfel who'd done the deed stalked back, dropping the crushed and bitten hands from its tripartite mask-beak. Mari's own hands clenched and twitched, the gloves painfully hot where the internals had overloaded. The girl snarled, the glowing lines weaving between herself and the saddle flaring green.

 _~S-stupid gloves. Stupid plugsuit. Stupid Angel…~_

 _"_ _Why won't it…"_

 ** _Just. Fucking. DIE._**

.

Unit-05 had suffered a tremendous amount of damage in the last few minutes of fighting. Its armour was melted, scarred, or punctured in most places, a pylon was missing, several rents in its stomach refused to close, and now its arms were half-gone.

Even with that, the spider-legged Eva was still not ready to quit.

Lunging, Unit-05 rammed a knee into the Israfel's chest. The Angel jolted back- and the cyborg drove a wheeled foot through its ribcage, crushing the Core beneath her heel.

The Eva turned towards the remaining Angels, and bellowed, the locks on its helmet straining.

Unit-05 and pilot were _pissed off_.

.

* * *

 _Damaged. Wounded. The collective- as a whole- threatened._

 _If the multiple is in danger, the individual will suffice. The other vulnerabilities are insignificant._

 _._

 _Recombine._

* * *

The Angels shot away from their foes, _flying_ towards a single point in greasy grey-blue blurs of liquid. Seven streaks- one for each remaining Angel- slammed into each-other, blending and churning into a column of flesh and blood. The vortex split apart, forming into distinct parts; arms, legs, an armoured trunk, and a three-eyed mask.

This was their _original_ state: Israfel Prime.

.

"Alright then!" Asuka snapped. "Let's go!"

The six Evas and Jet Alone practically threw themselves at the Angel, all driven to _end this_. Desperation, rage, pain, exhaustion- it didn't matter which one. Everyone just wanted the Angel _dead_.

Israfel's AT Field ignited, flaring as it was bombarded by missiles, bullets, flechettes, and plasma charges alike. The barrier barely held against the onslaught- and when the Evas actually _reached_ the Angel, it stood no chance.

Israfel twisted with unnatural speed, blocking and parrying blows it shouldn't have been able to, its Field popping in and out of existence to stop attacks it couldn't reach. The Angel's eyes flashed, particle beams spraying off of the Eva's barriers like water. Asuka struck as fast as she could, stingblades ripping into its hide and leaving sizzling wounds. Alongside her, Jet Alone played defender, parrying Israfel's claws away before they could strike his comrades. Mari drove her Eva into the Angel's face, Unit-05 ripping out its own jaw restraints to tear bloody chunks from the Angel's hide. Units 03' and 04' beat away, the former heavily favouring her plasmacasters and detachable arms to bombard the Angel from every angle, the latter landing blow after blow with his half-functioning Borers. Unit-01 was in the thick of it, alternating between stabbing, blasting, and inflicting as much blunt-force trauma as it could. Even Unit-00' was in, jabbing away with two _gladius_ -shaped progressive knives wherever it could find an opening.

Israfel's healing factor was wearing thin, and the Angel's reflexes began to slow. For Asuka, the timer ticked down inexorably; now three minutes, now two forty-five, now two and a half… They _needed_ to end this.

"Shinji! Core!" the girl shouted over the PA, hoping the boy could hear her. Fortunately, it seemed that he did, as Unit-01 braced its progressive knife with two hands, and rammed it into the glassy sphere! Asuka yelled, and rushed up, plunging her left stingblade in as well. Israfel howled, spasming. The Core seemed to flex, small parts beginning to bead of of it…

...right up until Rei drove a rocket-propelled fist into it, fracturing the surface, and forcing it back into a rough sphere. An angry horn blared- Asuka, Shinji, and Rei all pulled away- and Mari drove her mechanized leg into the damaged organ. The Core shattered like glass… and violently ruptured.

The Angel's body went off like an N2 Mine, focused vaguely upwards by the Evas' still barely functional Fields. Even with the metaphysical walls trying to contain it, the self-destruct still caught the cyborgs- and threw them to the wind. The last thing the Second Child remembered was a brief spike of pain-

.

-and then nothing.


	27. Chapter 027

"Nnnnngh… that _really hurt_ ," the girl groaned. Every last part of her body _aches_ in some faded way, and what doesn't ache tends to be in straight up pain.

A pair of shaking, naked hands reach up, the faintest traces of grey material peeling off their backs, and grab her helmet. The headgear is unceremoniously detached, lazily tossed aside into a denser patch of LCL. The lighting is dim but usable, and for that her eyes are grateful; the last thing they need is the harsh glare of a spotlight.

Mari takes another shaky breath of the blood-flavoured fluid, her tongue noticing a hint more iron in the taste than usual. Unsurprising; she's probably taken more than a little damage from the fight- and not just her Eva.

The girl's fingers rise up again, and brush against her face, searching for cuts, bruises, and other such harm. When they land on her left brow, Mari winces, and pulls back, fingertips trailing something murky through the LCL. Well, one injury's been found- alongside a good look at her arms.

It wasn't as bad as Sachiel had been, she noted. The outer surface had mostly disintegrated, exposing the internal skeleton and wiring. The synch cables had broken off, the translucent green fibres now dulled and dark. And from the uneven pressure on her chest, it wasn't hard to tell that a trauma plate or two had come loose.

 _~I'm going to need a new suit,~_ Mari thought, gently rubbing the back of her head. _~Who knows, may even be a new model, rather than another one of_ these _old things.~_

The girl chuckled- or at least tried to. Laughing… not until she didn't feel like crud any longer. After that, she could let herself indulge a little…

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

The communications link. Damn. The answer button was too far to reach without stretching, and Mari had no intention of finding out how painful that would be.

"Authorized," she sighed. "Answer."

Fortunately, it looked like the voice controls worked fine. A hologram popped up, and Mari squinted against the bright light.

 _"_ _..."_

"H-hullo there," the Brit says shakily. "You don't mind if I pass out while you're talking, do you?"

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 027: This is (Not) the Last Time**

To Misato's concern, Mari _did_ end up passing out mid-sentence, thanks to a combination of shock and exhaustion. She'd overreacted a little at that point, and snapped at the rescue crews to hurry up- the _last_ thing she needed was for the pilots' conditions to get _worse_.

Despite her concerns, when the Children were recovered, they were just fine- or at least _mostly_ fine. The plugsuits and shock-absorbing LCL had done their job, keeping anyone from suffering anything that was exceptionally deliberating. The medical doctors assured her repeatedly that, with the technologies available to Nerv, all the Children would be perfectly able to continue with both normal life _and_ their occupations... in due time.

 _That_ quieted her down.

.

* * *

 _~Ugh… head… hurts…~_

That was about the only thing Asuka could get through her head right now. Concentrating on anything more complicated than that seemed just about impossible, and she didn't want the headaches to get worse from her trying. Maybe in a while she'd be able to muster up some crankiness, but for now, she just wanted rest.

At least she could appreciate the hospital room for not being too stimulating. The lighting was soft, thanks to the curtains being closed, and the lights being dimmed. Colour was lacking; other than the flat white walls, the only things in Asuka's blurry field of view were mostly grey. Best of all, there was barely any _noise_ ; something her poor brain was _very_ grateful for.

.

Eventually, however, the sheer, soul-crushing boredom that came with looking at a plain white wall for an hour managed to overpower the pain of trying to focus on things, and drove the girl to actually look around more. Wincing, Asuka turned her head towards the door. Down a couple of cots, a brown-haired lump lay under the sheets, the covers slowly rising and falling with each breath.

Huh. So Mari was here as well.

Still tired and achy, Asuka could only hope that whatever afflicted Mari was also going to keep her from whining about the pain when she finally woke up. Or, if not that, _get her_ to shut up fast enough.

Hey, she was allowed to gripe about her girlfriend.

.

* * *

.

 _~Here I am again,~_ the girl thought, lying flat on her back, and attempting to tune out the aching. She may not have suffered a concussion like the other female pilots stationed here had, but the damage caused to Unit-00' had resulted in quite a bit of non-lethal harm to her. _~This would mark the… third time I have been hospitalised this year.~_ Rei's brow furrowed, the girl rewinding. _~No, wait. Fourth. This is the_ fourth _time. I forgot to take Iruel into consideration.~_

Admittedly, the third hadn't taken place in the standard Nerv facilities, but rather the special facilities for her. Exerting herself had proven… detrimental to her physical cohesion, something that the normal hospital wasn't equipped to deal with, given her unique composition. _These_ injuries, however, were well within their grasp to repair.

Dealing with the bruising on her limbs and exterior was easy enough, as Rei generally didn't move strenuously enough to exacerbate the pain. As for internal bruising? The trauma plates in her plugsuit had managed to take most of the force out the crashes, leaving her with nothing more than a light tingle of nausea and an awareness of how much organs weighed- both of which were sufficient to keep her in the bed for now.

As for Rei's internal monologue? A simple and effective way of keeping herself distracted- and something she already did a considerable amount. Nothing more, nothing less.

Other than that, all there was for her to do… was simply wait.

* * *

By the time they'd recovered enough that the doctors let them go out and start returning to normal life- which was about two weeks after the fight- it had been brought to the pilots' attention that the Americans would be leaving soon. While their units had been brought over to fight, recent reports had showed that the two extra Evangelions were dramatically slowing the rate at which the entire group could being repaired- and with no clue when the next Angel might come, Nerv would rather have quality over quantity. Of course, that wasn't even bringing up the language barrier, which was a good part of why neither Child was complaining about leaving. However, they had added that they'd like to stay in touch with the others- including Shinji and Rei, just in case they figured out Japanese.

"Yeah, Japan was nice while we were here," Marco had said. "But honestly... I just can't see myself living in a place where neither of us speak a lick of the local language. Sorry, guys."

And so, with about the same awkwardness that they'd met with, the pilots gave a farewell to the American siblings.

.

* * *

.

Afterwards, they'd left for home, the two foreigners still nursing slight headaches. It hadn't been a particularly long trip, but with the extended stay in the hospital, they could confidently say that they were anxious to get home. Rei had been dropped off around where she'd said her own apartment was, leaving Shinji, Asuka, Mari, and Misato to return to their own flats.

Asuka slunk down the sideway, aiming for the doors near the end. She and her roommate had trailed behind, and the other two had likely already gone in. Now all she had to do was-

"Oi, Princess. Our apartment's over _here_ ," Mari said from behind her. "That's Shinji and Miso's you're aiming at." Asuka paused, and blinked. Sure enough, the door she'd been about to go through… _was_ Misato's apartment. The girl sighed, and rubbed her temples.

"...Stupid concentration issues," she muttered, before turning away. "Coming, Four-Eyes."

Of course, the brunette had already opened their real door and snuck inside by the time Asuka had turned around and headed over. The Second Child poked her head in, just in time to see Mari crashing down on the couch with a soft squeal of joy.

"Oh, I've missed this place!" the girl laughed, kicking her legs up. "Couch! Carpeting! My own _bed_! Yay!"

Mari rolled onto her side, giving her partner a lopsided grin.

"It is _good_ to be back, Princess."

Asuka snorted, and strolled in, the door sliding shut behind her

"Yeah, you can say that again."


	28. Chapter 028

The plan was a simple one; gather everyone up, and head out to the shopping complexes to get some new stuff. Shinji and Misato had already gone out to it, while Kaji had decided to help out the other two in getting ahold of Rei.

The man's car slowed to a halt, just outside the complex Rei had insisted she be dropped off at. The doors unlocked with a click, and Mari and Asuka stepped out.

"Not much to look at, mm?" The former commented, lazily raising an eyebrow at the building.

It wasn't; the complex was a mostly empty, almost deserted looking box of a place, standing about three stories tall. The entire thing was an unappetising grey, one corner lined with fractures and cracks. Not to mention, it was quiet. _Very_ quiet.

Asuka frowned. Weren't Rei and the Commander close or something? If that was the case, why the hell was he having her live in a place like _this?_

"Girls, I can appreciate that you're taking an interest in local architecture," Kaji said from the driver's seat, his voice casual but matter-of-fact in intonation. "But I'm sure _Miss Ayanami_ will appreciate it more if you can go get her."

The two blinked, their attention drawn to him for a second. Kaji shrugged.

"Just saying," he added, light-heartedly. That got a giggle from the Fifth. Asuka rubbed the back of her head, mildly embarrassed that he'd pointed it out. While they _were_ friends, things with Kaji were still a little... complicated, and not always in a good way.

"R-right," she said, turning back towards the building. "Come on, Four-Eyes."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 028: An (Ab)Normal Day**

The door proved to be unlocked, much to Asuka's surprise.

 _~Does she not expect intruders or something?~_ the girl wondered, standing in the frame of the now-opened door and knocking. Mari rested against the outside, keeping some sort of watch. The room was… well, not what she'd expected. Then again... Asuka wasn't sure _what_ she'd expected Rei's home to be like. Certainly not as… abandoned as this place felt.

'Old' seemed to be the best way to describe the place. The entire room was just as dull and dim as the rest of the building, though Asuka couldn't find any major hints of dust or mess. The furniture was minimalistic, with only a single desk and chair, a few shelving units, a small cabinet, a bed, and a small hollow with kitchen equipment present. Decoration was even more so; all she could spot were two lamps and a pair of glasses atop the cabinet. There may have been something else, but Asuka couldn't spot it from this angle.

Asuka knocked on the open door once more... and still, Rei did not appear.

.

"...Screw this, I'm going in," Asuka muttered, letting Mari stay outside. The Second Child pushed off from the doorframe, and walked down into the apartment. As expected, nothing else, except a bathroom- with a closed door, thankfully.

She was still… surprised, she guessed. This place was just… whatever it was, it wasn't a _home_ by any means. Her opinion of Rei may have been a little iffy, but there was no doubt that this environment wasn't satisfactory for _anyone_.

"Honestly," Asuka muttered, looking around. Her hands closed on the pair of glasses, which the girl held up to the faint light of a window in a fit of curiosity. "If _I'd_ been assigned this place, I'd be demanding to live somewhere else in a _heartbeat_. I don't know how she can _stand_ this place."

The sound of a door sliding open caught the redhead's attention. She turned, hands retracting-

\- And her pale blue gaze locked with a pair of vibrant red-gold eyes.

Her skin almost colourless in the dim light, Rei stood in the doorway to the bathroom, wearing nothing but a pair of towels- one wrapped around her waist, the other draped over her shoulders and chest.

Asuka stared. Caught off-guard in a situation that she'd honestly _never_ expected to be in, there was little more she could do than gape like a fish, and be _painfully_ aware of the awkward heat that suffused her features.

.

Then, the blue-haired girl moved. Her arms swung down from her head, and the First Child advanced, closing the distance between them. Reflexively, Asuka stepped back- and promptly bumped into the cabinet behind her. The girl let out a startled noise at the disruption to her balance, and reversed. Unfortunately, both of them misjudged their steps, and smacked into each other- and soon after, the ground.

 _Thump._

Rei was flat on her back, Asuka's sudden acceleration having landed her on top. The redhead's hands- outstretched to stop her crash- had fallen on Rei's shoulders… and nearly shoved the towel off of the pilot's chest.

For a few seconds, there was an overpowering silence.

Asuka, making sure to keep her eyeline _above_ Rei's neck, took a shaky breath.

.

"...Rei."

"Sohryu," the First Child replied softly. "... I wo-"

It was at this point that Asuka's hand slipped, stripping away the already nearly-gone towel, and sending the pilot of Unit-02 toppling forwards with a yelp. Asuka's arm landed on the floor, catching her a few centimetres before her head would have slammed into Rei's. The girl promptly flushed red again, the awkwardness of their proximity not lost on her.

.

"I… would like to have my glasses back, Sohryu," Rei repeated, her breath palpable at this distance.

Asuka blinked, the words slowly registering in her mind.

"...Wait, the… the _glasses?"_ she asked. "You…" Asuka honestly had no words for what had just happened. "...for _the glasses?_ " Rei nodded.

"...Then why didn't you just _say_ it?"

"I think it may-"

" _Eh-hem_ ," interrupted a very amused voice, its owner audibly trying to restrain herself.

"...You know, Princess, when we came here to convince Rei to come with us, I… really wasn't expecting you to do it _this_ way."

.

Asuka sputtered at the rude reminder of her position, and glared up at her partner.

"I- s-shut up, Four-Eyes!" she stammered, shoving herself to her feet. Mari just snickered merrily, eyes glittering in amusement.

With Asuka no longer atop her, Rei took the opportunity to stand up, retrieving the spectacles from where they'd fallen. They weren't broken from the landing, but the warping still remained. Carefully, Rei folded the arms in, and moved to place them back on the cabinet.

"To where did you want me to accompany you?" she asked nonchalantly, pulling open a drawer. Mari glanced over, the snickering falling away- though her mirth remained.

"I'll tell you _after_ you get dressed, Wondergirl. After all, we don't want to distract the Princess, do we?"

Asuka groaned.

.

* * *

.

It was a few minutes later that they'd gotten Rei into the car- a few minutes that Asuka had used to try to compose herself.

It hadn't worked very well.

God _, that was embarrassing,~_ Asuka thought, staring out the car window. The girl still bore a light blush, as her short-term memory played the experience over and over in her head, much to her annoyance.

"Hey, kiddo," Kaji said from beside her. "What's eating you? You haven't talked much since we picked up Rei."

Asuka sighed.

"...Some stuff happened," she mumbled. "Back there. I… I _really_ don't want to talk about it right here, Kaji."

The man nodded.

"Alright then. Later?"

" _Later_ ," Asuka confirmed. Kaji gave another nod, and turned a corner.

* * *

.

At the purr of a car's engine, Shinji looked up. He and Misato had arrived fairly early, and decided to just wait in the shade for the others. Now, it seemed, they were finally here.

"Hey, Shinji!" Mari called from the back seat, waving enthusiastically to the boy. In response, the Third Child set his SDAT down, and gave a little wave back.

The car turned, swinging into the first row of parking spaces. Quickly and easily, the vehicle seized an unoccupied spot right at the front of the lot, sliding in smoothly. As the engine died down, the convertible's doors unlocked and opened.

Misato stood up, watching as the four arrivals made their way over.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you took so long, Kaji?" the dark-haired woman asked, raising an eyebrow. The inspector simply shrugged.

"Picking up Miss Ayanami took a little bit longer than we'd thought, simple as that."

Out of the corner of his eye, Shinji just barely noticed Asuka's face reddening a little more, much to his confusion.

"Well, at least you're _here_ ," Misato said. The woman took a breath, and planted her hands on her hips. "Now, let's get going. Anywhere you guys want to stop first?"

.

The Children turned towards each other, looking among themselves in case anyone had an idea. Mari shrugged, and spoke up.

"A clothing shop for Rei, maybe? She didn't have much when we visited her."

Rei blinked.

"...Makinami, my current wardrobe is more than-"

The bespectacled girl clapped an arm around Rei's shoulder.

"Oh, _Rei_ ; believe me, it's really _not_."

"I'm inclined to disagree, Ma-"

 _"_ _Onwards!"_ Mari cheered.

* * *

.

\- _Several hours later._

.

Mari had started to regret dragging Rei into this about an hour in. The blue-haired Eva pilot had ended up being a rather bothersome combination of stubborn and socially ignorant. Now, Mari was perfectly happy with stubbornness- sticking with your guns was something she could respect, and had done repeatedly. What she wasn't happy with was the _latter_ part.

But even with Rei making things difficult for the normally good-natured Brit, Mari _had_ managed to stuff her into something that _wasn't_ school uniform.

The dress didn't actually look half bad on her, either.

" _Well_ , it's good to know that going to a clothing store with Ayanami is _extremely_ irritating," the Fifth Child said with a half-forced smile. "Now to _never_ do that again."

"Damn right," Asuka huffed, rubbing her temples.

"...I still don't entirely see the _point_ of this," Rei said. "But-"

"Wondergirl, if you _dare_ drag this on _any_ longer, I _swear_!" Asuka spun, snapping at the First Child.

However, just _what_ she was going to swear was promptly interrupted.

"Hey, it's Shinji!"

"Yo, Shin-man!"

Mari blinked, her attention caught. Similarly, Shinji himself- who had been walking in front of them- looked up. The two boys who had called to him waved. Even at this distance, Mari could recognise them; one was Kensuke, and the other was… that kid in the tracksuit who'd gone up to Shinji during that one lunch period who she didn't know the name of. Toby, or something like that.

The Third Child waved back, as the two walked up.

"Hey guys, how's it going?"

"Honestly, we were going to ask you that, first," Kensuke replied. "It's been _ages_ ; where've you been, man?"

Shinji shuffled one of the bags he was carrying up onto his elbow, and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh… busy," he muttered. "Just some stuff."

"What _sorta_ stuff?" Tracksuit-boy asked.

" _Nerv_ stuff, _obviously_ ," Asuka interrupted. "What else _would_ it be?"

"That's why I'm _askin_ '!" the boy shot back, clearly unamused by Asuka's attitude.

The redhead snorted dismissively, and turned her sights on Kensuke instead.

"Hey, Aida."

"Yeah?" the bespectacled boy replied.

"Do you know where Hikari is?" Asuka asked. "I need to spend some time around someone who's _actually_ level-headed."

Kensuke blinked.

"Um… no, not _really_. We only really talk at school; it's... not like she's following us around to whack us with a newspaper if we get out line or anything."

Asuka sighed, flaring her nostrils in irritation.

" _Great_."

* * *

Well, _that_ was annoying. Asuka may not have known the other girl for long, but she'd _at least_ seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders. About the only one round here who she could currently say fit that- and _wasn't_ grating on her- would be _Shinji_ , and _he_ was busy with his friends.

She? She was hiding the mounting stress as best she could, despite the fact that her best for _this_ was nowhere near enough.

And it was _dealing_ with that stress that was part of the problem. Shinji? Busy, and that one time they'd talked had been… one time. Mari? Part of the problem itself; only if she was _really_ desperate. Kaji? Currently busy, and she didn't know where he lived. Misato? As if.

Unfortunately, without talking, she didn't have a whole lot of outlets, _especially_ not at the mall.

.

Annoying.

* * *

As it turned out, carrying the bags wasn't too bad, not when he had plenty of distractions. Shinji could easily have been more uncomfortable- the bags could have been fuller or more numerous, Toji and Kensuke could have not showed up, Toji and Kensuke could have showed up, but actually started something with Asuka… the list of ways the universe had _not_ decided to make his life difficult went on.

The remaining trip wasn't really anything that noteworthy; they stopped in the food court once, ran into Misato and Kaji again- back when they'd entered the place, Mari had dragged him and the girls off without Misato, and Kaji had stayed behind- stocked up on a couple ingredients for Shinji's cooking, and then… well, left. That was it. A simple trip for a seemingly simple day.

.

* * *

.

Asuka sighed, leaning back with closed eyes. The couch _was_ comfortable, but comfort only went so far for the things _she'd_ had to deal with. And after everything _today_ had thrown at her, the Second Child was going to need a _lot_ more than a comfy couch.

 _Thump._

For instance, she'd need that bespectacled moron to _not_ be a colossal annoyance this time.

"Oh, _Princess_ ~..."

" _What_ , Four-Eyes?" the redhead snapped, eyes opening.

.

"You... never answered my question," Mari replied cautiously, clearly trying to nudge the topic her way.

"Which would be _what_ , Four-Eyes?"

"...The date?" came the answer. "Back before Israfel, just before we launched? You said you'd answer it after the fight, and, well… we're pretty far after the fight, Princess."

...Oh, right. _That_.

.

Asuka sighed, slumping into the couch. She reached up, gently massaging her temples in an attempt to calm herself.

"Four-Eyes, right now, I'm j-just…" Asuka paused, chewing on her lip for a couple seconds. "I'm _not_ in the best state for you to bother me."

"Hmm?" Mari wondered, scooting closer. "How so?"

 _"_ _How so?"_ Asuka repeated. "S-simple; these last few weeks have been... _really fucking stressful_ for me- and part of that problem is _you_. You and y-your damn teasing, Four-Eyes!" The last few words were hissed out, the aforementioned strain beginning to chip away at her facade at last.

Mari's eyes widened.

"...me?"

"Yes, you!" the Second Child replied. " _Every_ time something's screwed up, you _always_ have to make some… some stupid, insulting comment! I-I'm having _enough_ trouble already- I _don't_ want to have to deal with stuff from _you_!" Asuka rolled over, facing away from the other girl. Even at her limits, she still refused to show everything.

.

"... Princess…" Mari mumbled, the humour gone from her voice. "Why didn't you say anything? I… I don't want you to be _hurt_ because of something _I_ did…"

Asuka tried to fake a snort, the noise choking up as her composure continued to crumble.

" _D-dummkopf_ ," she said, drawing her legs up onto the couch with her. "It- it doesn't _work_ like that… not for me. You _know_ that."

Unfortunately, Mari _did_. The issue had popped up a couple times, and she'd practically had to _pry_ the problems from Asuka's grip. Showing weakness didn't come easily to the girl.

Mari sighed unhappily, and shifted in her place.

.

The next sound to hit Asuka's ears was that of the Fifth Child scooting over, and wrapping her arms around the smaller girl.

"Oh, _Princess_ …" Mari mumbled into the back of Asuka's hair, giving the girl a slow, gentle squeeze. "You _can't_ keep _doing_ this to yourself. I'm... _more_ than willing to reign myself in if it helps you."

Asuka curled up a little more.

.

"...thank you," she whispered in response. Mari nodded, silently readjusting her body around Asuka's to further cover her with the embrace.

Honestly… it was _just_ as nice as it had been on the _Over the Rainbow_ … maybe a little better, even. The softness and warmth of the British girl was as comforting as it had always been- and a welcome change from how _awful_ everything else seemed.

The knotted ball of tension in Asuka's chest started to fade, melting away slowly. The girl swallowed, and shifted a little bit. Her limbs relaxed, no longer clenched tightly against her body.

.

"... Four-Eyes?" The girl mumbled.

"Yes, Princess?"

"...'m getting hungry."

Mari snorted, blowing a jet of air through the countless red strands of Asuka's hair.

"I'll order something for us," the Brit muttered back, giving her another squeeze. "Gonna get 'm to deliver."

Asuka glanced towards Mari, though the positioning of them both made it difficult.

"...You're not leaving?"

"You think I would?" Came the gently teasing reply. Asuka sighed.

"Just… shut up and hold me, _dummkopf_."

Mari sighed back.

"...As you wish."


	29. Chapter 029

_Ring! Ring!_

"Mmmm…"

 _Ring! Ring!_

"Mmm," Mari grunted, sinking further into the couch-bed. Damn phone… couldn't she at least get another hour of sleep or so?

Something wriggled in her arms.

"Four-Eyes, get the _verdammt_ phone…" Asuka whined. Mari lifted one of her arms from the girl's side, and scratched her fingers through the redhead's hair.

 _Ring! Ring!_

"...'n a little bit," Mari mumbled, eyes opening a crack. "Jus' let it go to voicemail…"

 _Ring! Ring!_

 _Ring! R- click._

There it was. Mari sighed in relief at the cutoff. Now she'd only have to deal with the message.

 _"_ _Mari, it's Misato,"_ the answer machine relayed. _"I need you and Asuka to get down to headquarters_ as soon _as possible. We've got an Angel."_

The machine clicked again, its message finished. For a moment, there was silence.

.

"... Oh, I am going to frickin' _murder_ that Angel," Mari stated.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 029: You Can (Not) Run**

 _\- Nerv Briefing Room_

.

"Good _morning_ , everyone."

"You're late, you two," Misato said. Mari yawned again, stretching out as she walked in.

"Oh, bite me, Miso. You said 'as soon as possible,' I gave you 'as soon as possible'. Not my fault Section 2 didn't come pick us up."

The captain sighed, arms folded across her chest.

"Alright, I'll give you _that_ \- but in the future, I still want you to be a little _faster_. Angels are serious business, Mari. You too, Asuka."

As she took her seat, the Second Child glanced up at Misato.

"Normally, _yeah_ , we _would_ be," she replied. "Except I'm going to bet that this isn't exactly _normal_ , seeing how there _weren't_ any 'special emergency' alarms going off. Mind explaining?"

The woman looked around, her gaze sweeping across the four waiting teenagers.

"Now that you're all _here_ , I can." Misato pulled a remote out of her pocket, and clicked a button on it. The projected screen changed, displaying a mountain.

"This is Mount Asama," Misato said. "At five o'clock this morning, our sensors detected a weak Pattern Blue inside it. Not long afterwards, the MAGI designated it as the Tenth Angel, codename 'Sandalphon'. It's been sitting there ever since, and the MAGI hypothesise that it's dormant. Yes, Shinji?"

The boy lowered his hand.

"If the Angel's in the volcano, then... what are we really supposed to do about it?"

"Good question, Shinji," Misato replied. "At the moment, our plan is to capture the Angel while it's still dormant, using the Type-D Hazardous Operations Equipment and an electromagnetic cage."

Shinji blinked, unfamiliar with the terminology.

"Um..."

"Wait, the _D-type? Really?"_ Asuka asked incredulously. "Didn't that have something like _nine_ different problems in its engineering _alone_? I mean, sure, it's the best for something like _this_ \- but given what you're _actually proposing_ , that doesn't say much!"

"Technically, Asuka, there were only _eight_ issues, and it was a prototype," came a reply from beside them. Coming in from the door, Doctor Ritsuko Akagi walked over, a cup of coffee in one hand.

"Doctor Akagi?"

"If you want, I'll let you have a copy of the blueprints for the final version to look over," the scientist added, taking her spot next to Misato. Cautiously, Asuka leaned a little bit forward, and pressed on.

"...and the _plugsuit_?" she asked.

"Like everything else, we've made a better model of it," Ritsuko replied. Satisfied with this, the Second Child leaned back.

"Anyways, as I was saying," Misato resumed. "One of you four will be sent down in your Eva, and attempt to seize the Angel with the cage. Your priority will be to capture it- but if that doesn't work, standard procedure comes in. Any questions?"

Shinji raised his hand a second time- at the same time Mari, Asuka, and Rei did.

"Yes… Asuka?" the woman chose.

"Who's going to actually _be piloting_?" the German asked. "You never specified that."

"Well…" Misato sighed. "Seeing how this is only the _second_ time in Nerv's history that an A17's been declared, that role is still not set yet. Immediately after this briefing, I'm going to meet with the Commander and the UN about this mission. After that, I'll make sure to let you guys know."

.

* * *

The quartet sat in the canteen, a few trays of breakfast-y foods lain on the table between them. The briefing itself hadn't gone on much longer- a few minutes at most- so they'd decided to wait here for Misato to finish her other meeting.

"So… is anyone going to tell me what the problem was with this D-type stuff?" Shinji asked. Asuka practically _glared_ up from her food at the question, finishing her mouthful of ramen with a miffed slurp. Mari coughed, and slung an arm around the girl, grinning uneasily at the boy.

" _Well_ … it's got a _couple_ issues," she answered.

"Like?" Shinji prompted. Mari sighed, a little smirk still on her face.

"Well, for starters," she said. "The last time I checked on the Mark-1d- that's the plugsuit, by the way- it was _simultaneously_ very uncomfortable, pretty detrimental to movement, _and_ tied with the Test-Type Plugsuit for _sheer_ amount of fetish material present- and not the _good_ kind, either."

Shinji stared, uncertainty and confusion suffusing the boy's face.

"I… what?"

Asuka sighed, and picked at her ramen a little more.

"To put it another way, Third, if I was actually _in_ one of those _verdammt_ prototypes, and you pushed me over? I wouldn't fall; I'd _roll_."

That seemed to do it. Shinji's eyes widened a little at the imagery.

.

" _Oh_."

"Yeah, _oh_ ," returned Asuka. "And that's not even counting the problems of the stuff the _Eva_ had to wear."

"Doctor Akagi said that the final version has been created," Rei added. "It's likely that most of the issues that it had have been fixed."

"I'd _hope_ so," Mari responded. "Considering that the near inability to get through most doors is a _pretty serious_ issue."

Shinji's brow furrowed.

"Okay, um… one more question."

"Yeah, Shinji?" Mari asked.

"Well," the boy said. "You… you know how you said that this… prototype of the D-type was…"

"Stuffed full of fetish material?" Mari lifted an eyebrow.

The boy took a breath, and scratched the side of his head.

"Yeah, that. You said it was _tied_ with the 'test-type plugsuit', so… what does _that_ look like?"

Mari smirked.

"Oh, _Shinji_ ," she said, squeezing Asuka closer, much to the redhead's protest. "You'd _like_ to know, _wouldn't_ you?"

.

"...Yes? That's why I _asked_ , Mari."

The girl let out a bark of laughter in reply, smiling wider.

"Well, then who knows, I might end up modelin' it for you sometime!" Mari chortled, before glancing to her side.

"Or, maybe _Princess_ can oblige~."

Asuka's eyes widened, the girl nearly choking on her noodles. Mari just continued to snicker at the thought.

Shinji sighed.

 _~Can't I just have straight answers to things?~_

.

* * *

.

The monoliths hung in the air, rectangular and grey. The effect was… pretty damn intimidating, Misato would admit. She stood next to the Commander's desk, in the very centre of the room, surrounded by the holograms.

 _~The UN representatives could have picked a_ friendlier _style of communicating,~_ the woman thought to herself.

 _"_ _This meeting between the Human Instrumentality Committee and Nerv will now commence,"_ the middle monolith- labelled '01 - SOUND ONLY'- announced, voice crackling and distorted. _"Captain Katsuragi, I believe you wanted to speak."_

Misato nodded.

"Yes, sir. I'm here to hear the UN's recommendations on the A17- specifically, which pilot should be used for this mission."

 _"_ _It depends, of course, on which_ Evangelion _will be used,"_ the one on the left, '02 - SOUND ONLY', replied. The one on the other side spoke up as well.

 _"_ _Yes. After all, the Evas may be able to synchronise with multiple pilots, but they are still limited in those they accept. Which have you considered, Captain?"_

"Currently, I've narrowed it down to Units 00 and 02," Misato replied. "Unit-05 is unable to fit in the D-type equipment, and those two are each capable of supporting half our total pilots."

 _"_ _In that case, I recommend you utilize the one that has sustained less damage,"_ 01 said. _"Which of the Children are capable of piloting said unit?"_

Misato furrowed her brow a little.

"That would be Unit-02, so… the Fifth and Second, sir."

 _"_ _Hm. The Fifth… she's from your country, correct, 02?"_ the monolith asked, rotating a fraction of a degree towards the one on its right.

 _"_ _Yes, chairman,"_ the apparently English representative replied. 01 let out a staticky noise that could have been a grunt of affirmation.

 _"_ _In any case, we wish to use the most qualified pilot available for this operation,"_ 01 said.

 _"_ _True,"_ added 04. _"Though both_ have _disobeyed orders before."_

 _"_ _Bah, they're teenagers- and some of the more energetic ones in Nerv's care. It's to be expected,"_ 03 replied.

The Commander still said nothing, but sat in waiting.

 _"_ _And what of temperament?"_ 04 asked. _"Neither the Second nor the Fifth are particularly level-headed."_

 _"_ _They are our options, 04,"_ 01 responded. _"However, as they are of_ our _countries, the decision must come down to 02 and myself- not you."_

 _~So, this is how they work?~_ Misato wondered. This was the first real time she'd seen the Human Instrumentality Committee, even if they were just holographic avatars.

 _"_ _I will support the Fifth Child,"_ the other monolith said. _"While the Second does possess the better synchronization with Unit-02, the Fifth's demeanour is far more stable. As long as all goes according to plan, we should have no difficulties."_

 _._

 _"_ _...Agreed,"_ said 01. _"You have our recommendation, Captain."_

Misato nodded.

"Yes sir."

.

* * *

.

"Really? _I'm_ the pilot?"

Misato nodded. Mari frowned, a little confused.

"But… Unit-05's still being repaired. And I don't think it'll fit in the armour, even if it's the new stuff," the Fifth Child pointed out.

"That's correct," Misato agreed. "Which is why you'll be in _Unit-02_."

Asuka looked over.

"She's _what?_ "

"Look, you're _both_ capable of synchronising with Unit-02. The UN just made their recommendation for _Mari_ to be the pilot this time," the woman explained. Asuka scowled, still not very pleased with the news.

"But Unit-02 is _my_ Eva!" Asuka complained. "Yes, I'm aware of the cross-synch experiments; I was _part of them_. That doesn't mean that Four-Eyes can operate my Eva as well as _I_ can!"

The dark-haired woman sighed, folding her arms.

"Look, the decision is final, Asuka; Mari's going to be piloting this time, and it's going to be in Unit-02. Understood?"

.

"...Come on, Asuka," an unsteady hand clapped her shoulder. "It'll be fine. We'll be waiting there just in case, right, Misato?"

 _~Shinji?~_ the redhead thought, looking over at the boy momentarily. For _he_ to be the one who tried something…

"Yes," Misato replied. "The rest of you are going to stationed around the crater, in case there's an emergency."

Mari's hand clapped onto Asuka's other shoulder, and gave it a little squeeze.

"Princess, do you _really_ want to argue over which of us gets to be sent into an _active volcano_ to try and capture an _Angel_?" the girl asked.

.

At last, the girl relented, letting out her breath.

"Alright, fine," she sighed. "Four-Eyes can take Unit-02 this time."

Asuka turned sharply, locking her gaze on Mari.

"But _you're coming back_ , you hear?" she demanded. "You _and_ Unit-02, _got it?"_

"I…" the Fifth Child said, caught off guard by the outburst.

"...Yeah, I've got it, Princess," she finished, the smile returning to her face.

"Now, how about we go see what sort of ridiculous getup I have to wear _this_ time?"

* * *

\- _Several minutes later._

.

Actually, the new plugsuit wasn't too bad, especially against the Mark-1d. That wasn't to say it didn't have its shortcomings, but it was far superior to the prototype.

The most striking features of the Mark-2d plugsuit were, undoubtedly, its armour and cooling system. While most plugsuits from the Mark-2s and up had built-in trauma plates around the pilot's vital regions, the 2d took it to a whole other level, combining its internal compression with several subdermal plates along each section to completely protect the pilot outside the entry plug.

Said internal compression was a direct result of the cooling system. Rather than being a super elastic suit that ballooned out with the gel, the Mark-2d compressed a _smaller_ amount of the semifluid throughout its structure, so it wasn't _nearly_ as hilariously distorted as the former was- though it was still pretty thick. In order to deal with not having as much coolant available, the suit could be connected to a specialised entry saddle, with which it could continually exchange coolant.

Even ignoring the engineering that went into it, the new suit looked _heaps_ better to Mari. Most of it was a dark, velvety grey in colour, with the helmet, body plates, and the more armoured parts of the limbs done up in an equally dark, soft red. In an imitation of the 02 plugsuit, two amber bands went up the sides of the breastplate, while turquoise details glowed around the throat, plug ports, and chest core.

Yes, she looked twice her size, and it wasn't super comfy- but it was at least dignifying.

Clad in her new outfit, Mari strode through the door, aiming a light-hearted grin towards the other Children. To her pleasure, the ghost of a smile flickered across Asuka's face.

Up ahead, Unit-02 waited for her, dressed up in its own D-type equipment. Honestly, there wasn't much difference from the outside view, just more joints, coolant and power cables for each limb, and a conspicuous scabbard bolted to the armour's left thigh. Additionally, the new model actually used the Eva's hands rather than mechanised claws, covering them with segmented mittens for protection. It wasn't really visible at the angle she was at, but functional hands were always a nice touch.

Mari stopped by the Eva's open entry plug, and turned, getting one last look at her friends.

She grinned, and waved to them.

"Wish me luck!"

.

* * *

Mari took another breath. Unit-02 hung over the open crater, the lava below bubbling and steaming. Over her skin, she could feel the coolant wriggling and flowing, like a set of muscles on the outside.

 _"_ _Misato, what's the UN doing here?"_ Asuka said over the radio. Mari blinked, and peaked up. Unit-02's four eyes followed, fixing on the slowly circling jets.

 _"_ _They're here as a backup plan,"_ Misato grumbled.

 _"_ _Backup?"_ Shinji asked. _"So they'll help us?"_

 _"_ _I_ wish _,"_ the woman muttered. _"Those are bombers. If we fail, it's goodbye Magmadiver, hello N2 mine."_

"So if I don't get the Angel they'll fucking _nuke us?_ " Mari interjected. "Fucking hell, and I thought the _Angels_ were twitchy bastards!"

 _"_ _Just try to do your best, Mari,"_ Misato replied. _"Are you ready to go?"_

"Now that I know I've got the damn UN breathing down my neck?" the Fifth Child joked. "Sure, go ahead. Let's get this thing done."

Mari adjusted the large frame-bar Unit-02 held, making sure that she had a good grip on it. The cable rig shook, as the reels disengaged. Unit-02 sank down, slipping past the surface of the molten rock with unnatural ease. As the lava passed 02's face-plate, Mari took another breath, just before being swallowed up completely.

.

The magma wasn't as blindingly bright as she'd thought. Apparently, Second Impact had some _weird_ side effects, resulting in Mt. Asama's internal reservoir becoming far less viscous, and actually somewhat translucent. It was weird, and she didn't remember the whole thing- but she wasn't complaining about the extra freedom of movement.

"Um… depth has passed 160…" she read aloud. "Descent speed is 20, and it is _not_ labelled with units. Is it, like, metres per second? Because if so, that's _pretty_ fast." Mari blinked. "No, wait, the Evas' can _run_ twenty metres per second- but this is _vertical_ speed, through molten rock, so does that…" the girl trailed off.

"... nevermind, you guys. Descent speed is 20, visibility is poorer than a third-world country, and the D-type equipment is holding up."

 _"_ _Roger that, Unit-02,"_ replied a technician. _"Just keep going; you're at 380, and the target's at 1700."_

Past the thick, transparent visor, Mari could see the magma flowing, a strange, glowing substance with tiny dark flecks in it. Since there was little to do but wait, the girl settled back in her saddle, letting everything just keep running.

It was fine. Everything was _just_ fine-

 _Cre-eak_

Mari frowned. _That_ didn't sound good.

 _"_ _D-type is holding up. No damage to the cables. Effects of pressure are negligible,"_ someone reported on the other end. _"Current depth is 880."_

The girl took a slow breath in. Even in the new plugsuit, it was starting to get hot.

 _"_ _Four-Eyes? Are you okay down there?"_ Asuka asked over the comms, a little hologram of her popping up in Mari's field of view. The Fifth Child nodded, her face just noticeable through the helmet.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay," she answered, purposely trying to keep a casual tone. "Bit nervous, to be honest, and it's _bloomin_ ' hot down here, but that's all."

 _"_ _Current depth is 1320…"_

 _"_ _Just… just be careful,"_ Asuka replied. _"I don't think the First is going to be able to drag you up if things go wrong."_

"Don't worry, I'll do my best. Later, Princess."

 _"_ _See you soon,_ dummkopf _."_

With that, the hologram disappeared, the link shutting off. Worryingly, another creak reverberated long and loud through the plug, straining Mari's composure. The girl wiggled in her seat, pulling herself a little further from the walls… just in case.

"Guys?" she asked. "Are you _sure_ that there aren't any problems?"

 _"_ _It's just a little thermal expansion, Unit-02, nothing to worry about. Ten seconds to the Angel."_

The girl licked her lips in anticipation, tightening her grip on the controls. This was it; she just had to catch the Angel, and get out of there.

Any second now...

.

The sinking stopped, Unit-02 coming to a halt. Mari looked around, trying to spot the dark shape that would hopefully be the Angel.

.

Nothing.

 _~Weird…~_

"Guys?" Mari asked.

"Where's the Angel?"

* * *

 _"_ _Guys? Where's the Angel?"_

Misato blinked.

"It's not there?" she whispered to herself, before bending down to the microphone. "Unit-02, what do you _mean_ 'Where's the Angel'?"

 _"_ _I_ mean _that the Angel isn't_ here _, Miso. No cocoon, no giant monster, nothin'."_

The woman looked over at the technicians, silently questioning them. Lieutenant Hyuga shook his head.

"We're still getting a Blue Pattern, Captain, so it's still there. Same strength as last time, too."

"And it's at the same depth?" Misato asked. Hyuga frowned, and typed something on his computer.

"... That's weird," he replied. "The computer says that the Angel's actually _deeper_ than it should be. But… the MAGI said that the currents would keep it up for a few more hours…"

Misato's eyes narrowed.

"Then if that's the case, why the hell has it- ?"

The woman's question was cut off, an alarm wailing in distress! She spun towards the source.

"What's going on?!"

"Pattern Blue has spiked!" Maya announced. "AT Field detected; it's awake!"

"Depth is rising! Five seconds to intercept!" Hyuga shouted. Misato's eyes widened.

"Unit-02!" she yelled into the radio. "The Angel! It's active!"

* * *

Like the mushroom cloud of a nuclear bomb, Sandalphon rose into view, massive and dark against the magma. Its dark brown, armoured body was shaped like a teardrop, with translucent fins lining its lower half. Four segmented tentacles trailed from its shoulders, each ending in six knife-like fingers. Its head tilted forwards, crowned with two mushroom-shaped horns. Two deep brown eyes- both on the _same side_ of its head- stared into Unit-02's face.

Mari froze, furiously fighting back the alien fear that threatened to flood over her.

"I- I…" she gaped, tensing up- and giving the Angel a perfect opening.

Its arms rising slightly, the ichthyoid alien rushed forwards, and slammed its front into Unit-02's chest! The Eva swung back on its cables, colliding with the rock wall of the magma chamber with a crash.

 _"_ _Mari!"_ Misato called through the comms. _"Drop the cage! Your priority is to kill the Angel, and get out of there!"_

Shaken out of her paralysis by the woman's voice, Mari bared her teeth, throttling the controls of the red Eva.

"Got it!" she snapped back, letting her fury bubble to the surface. Unit-02 swung its arm, tossing the framework of the electromagnetic cage off into the abyss, before reaching around. Its mittened fist closed around the handle of her sole weapon, and yanked!

"Unit-02 D-type, engaging the target! Eat knife, ya bastard!" Mari yelled, before pushing off. Even encumbered by the extra armour, the Eva was more than capable of holding its own in a fight. As her AT Field spread, neutralizing the phase space of both beings, Mari rammed the right control grip forwards, sending Unit-02 D-type's Sonic Dagger- an enhanced version of the prog knife, specially made to use in non-gaseous environments- swinging towards the Angel's face. The screaming blade dug in, beginning to penetrate Sandalphon's armour. The Angel cried out, a low warbling noise that carried through the magma easily. Mari snarled, shoving harder on the weapon.

"That's right, you stupid fish! Just die alre-"

The Sonic Dagger slid in a fraction more, and shattered, the motor blowing apart into fragments. Mari screamed, the destruction of the tool actually _piercing through_ the armoured glove- and by extension, compromising the pressure seal.

 _"_ _Mari!"_ someone called.

"Fuck you!" the Fifth Child yelled at the creature, squeezing her Eva's burnt, crumpling hand into a fist. The girl threw a punch, the attack sloppy and imprecise. Before it could even connect, Sandalphon responded, clenching its fingers into spikes, and driving a hand through Unit-02's wrist!

"AAAAAAaAaAaaaaaAAAAA!"

Unit-02 crashed back into the chamber wall, the tentacle nailing its arm into the rock. Mari held her wrist, face contorted in pain. It wasn't _just_ the pain of being stabbed; the girl could _feel_ the immense pressure and heat, even with her low synch.

Once again, anger mixed with the pain in her voice. Mari drew back her left arm, trying one last time to strike a blow.

With the same contemptuous ease as before, the Angel drove its hand through the limb mid-swing, tearing through the armour like cardboard.

Unit-02 spasmed, pinned to the wall of the magma chamber by Sandalphon's claws. Inside the plug, Mari had abandoned any attempt at keeping hold of the controls _or_ her composure. The girl doubled over, squeezing both her arms in an attempt to block out the burning pressure.

Always _t-the b-bloody arms. W-why? Why, why, why? Why is it_ always _the_ arms _?!~_

Just within her view, Sandalphon floated, a tear-blurred blob of darkness against the glowing background. The creature tilted back, seemingly looking up…

 _"_ _Mari! Mari, come in!"_

 _"_ _Four-Eyes!"_

Mari squeezed her eyes shut.

"I- it h-hurts. P-prince-"

The radio cut off in a squeal of static, alarms flashing in the plug. Mari's eyes shot open, just in time to see the Angel retracting one of its other arms... trailing the severed bundle of cables that had linked Unit-02 to the world above.

"Oh. Oh- oh _no_ ," she choked.

With a firm grip on the cables, the Angel pressed its fourth hand into Unit-02's chest, and ripped its arms out of the Eva's wrists. The girl screamed again, as the things stopping up the wounds were forcibly and suddenly removed, letting the cyborg's high pressure blood spray out- and the magma pour in.

Forced back down by the agony, Mari barely noticed as the Angel lifted the Eva up by its cables, swimming underneath it. What she did notice was the spike of alarm, just strong enough to grab a fraction of her attention.

 _[Help! Look! Danger! Danger!]_

Blurry, pain-hazed eyes turned up, their pupils shrinking at the sight.

Sandalphon was mere metres from the Eva, its featureless underside aimed at them. Like something out of a nightmare, the surface split down the middle, a vertically oriented jaw spreading open. Instead of teeth, hundreds of ropey tendrils wriggled, flexing and twisting towards the Eva.

No.

No no no no.

No, it _couldn't_ end like this- it- it _couldn't_.

"U-Unit-02," Mari rasped, the Angel moving forward, its maw widening grotesquely. She… she had to try _something_ , _anything_. "In... invert c-controls. B-backdoor code; the-"

The mouth slammed shut, swallowing Eva and pilot.

.

.

Floating there silently, Sandalphon released the cables, and sucked them up. The horrible mouth sealed up, melting back into its flesh as if it was never there to begin.

Lazily, the Angel's eyes rolled up, gazing towards the surface.

* * *

 _"_ _U-Unit-02…"_ Maya's voice practically whispered over the comms. _"It… it's_ gone. _We're not getting a signal."_

Slowly, silently, the horror washed over them: the bridge crew, Misato, and the pilots.

.

 _Gone_.

They didn't want to believe it. They _couldn't_ believe it. But with each second, it only became more real- horribly, _awfully_ real.

Among the many parts that made this horror- that Mari was gone, that there was barely a chance of her coming back- was another part, overshadowed by the others but very present.

Because if Unit-02… if Mari had been lost, if the mission had failed...

That meant the bombs were coming down.


	30. Chapter 030

Something was coming. Sandalphon could feel it. The Angel's eyes closed beneath their armoured membranes, its horns twitching with ultrasonic pulses. There- two objects, approaching at haste from above. In their hearts were masses of unstable, agitated energy, ready to burst forth upon them.

Sandalphon cared not. Even without their light at hand, their thunder would barely leave a mark.

The Angel curled up into an armoured ball, arms winding around it. The N2 Mines detonated, their fury throttling the world around them for a few violent seconds.

.

Their carapace barely warped by the blasts, Sandalphon uncoiled. Their eyes opened, the massive pupils now ringed with turquoise. The melted shell reformed, turning angular and red.

Sandalphon began to swim up.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 030: You Can (Not) Hide**

 _Pieces. Chunks of the self, gone._

 _Locked away._

 _._

 _...What am I doing?_

 _[Wake! Wake, you must!]_

.

 _~...huh? Who's there?~_

 _[You must! Danger! Enemy!_ Wake!]

.

The girl's eyes shot open, her body surging upright. Her fingers clenched around the covers, holding it to her chest.

.

Mari let out a shaky breath, and looked around.

"Wha… here? H-how am I _here_?"

The pale green wallpaper… the twin-size bed… the pictures on the dresser... Mari _knew_ this place. This was her room.

Her room _back in Britain_.

.

"...What the hell's going on here?"

.

* * *

"Angel ascending rapidly! N2 Mines have had no effect!" Hyuga shouted.

"Captain! The UN forces are dropping more mines!"

Misato cursed, spinning towards the opening of the mobile command centre. Up above, the aircraft circled, three more releasing their cylindrical payloads. Down fell the bombs, their engines spitting as they dove into the lava.

Around the crater rim, the other Evas stood uncertainly. Unit-01 stared at the bombs' path worryingly, while Unit-00 focused on the planes above. Unit-05, its arms replaced with their original skinnier version, looked almost ready to dive in after Unit-02. Misato felt a pang of sorrow for the girl, even if it wasn't going to be enough.

"Five seconds to detonation!"

"Misato, get back!"

The cries broke her concentration, and Misato took a clumsy step back-

Only for nothing to happen.

Unlike last time, there was no thunderous roar, no tremor that shook the truck like a can of soda, no plume of burning lava. For all intents and purposes, it seemed that the bombs… _hadn't gone off?_

.

"...Wait," she muttered. "Why _haven't_ they-"

A column of fire erupted from the crater, leaping up and spearing one of the orbiting bombers. One that _still had its N2 Mine loaded_. The cylinder flashed-

A trio of octagonal barriers sprang up, sealing in the force of the non-nuclear weapon's blast. Silhouetted against the blinding light of the explosion, Misato could make out the form of Unit-01, arms outstretched in determination. The AT Field held, flashing orange even as the light faded.

Misato let out her breath, and swallowed.

"...Everyone okay?"

A chorus of shaky affirmations came in reply from the inside of the command centre, much to her relief.

Outside, the Evas lowered their arms, letting out rumbling sighs. Deflecting the N2 blast had clearly been tough on them.

Around the rim of the volcano came the sounds of many somethings crashing.

 _~The N2 blast was funnelled_ up…~ Misato thought.

Looked like they weren't going to get any more support from the UN forces.

* * *

It was easy enough, to turn the weapons back on their users. The three vessels, compressed and funnelled up by their Light, had possessed more than enough energy to return their explosive force to the surface.

Sandalphon could not see the effects, not this far away, but it didn't matter.

The only problem was their decision to do that in the first place- not an instinct, but a facet of the other Light they'd taken in. So, it had some influence on them. That was no concern; such a thing had been expected.

Sandalphon continued to rise, turning their eyes inwards, towards the Light they'd consumed...

* * *

.

Mari walked down the hall, adjusting her blouse nervously. Something was _off_ \- and not _just_ that this didn't make any sense. Something felt fundamentally _wrong_ about this place. Even worse, she couldn't remember _what_ the problem was. She'd tried it twice before, only to be met with a splitting headache. Bits and pieces were missing from her memories, most often of what should have been _recent_ events.

Mari was starting to get worried.

The Brit stopped, and leaned against the wall. Her hands crept up towards her wrists, thumbs rubbing along their undersides.

"Okay, Mari, let's just… go over this again," she mumbled to herself. "You're in your old house- or at least, it… it _looks_ like your old house- you probably _shouldn't_ be here, and you…" The girl sighed.

"...You don't even fully remember _what_ was going on before you got here." The girl grimaced.

" _Great_."

.

 _"_ _Mari…"_

The girl blinked, hands freezing around her wrists. She _knew_ that voice. The frown disappearing from her face, Mari looked down the hallway…

Nothing. The end of the corridor was completely empty of anyone or anything, and yet… she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't alone.

.

Mari took a breath.

"Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained," she mumbled, and stepped away from the wall.

Slowly, uneasily, the Fifth Child began to walk down the hall.

.

* * *

A pair of bright blue eyes opened, before squeezing shut against the light.

 _[Careful. Nothing sudden.]_

The woman grimaced, a hand coming up to hold her head.

Zwei… what happened?

 _[Angel,]_ the four-eyed figure replied, scooping her up in its blue-grey arms. A low, nervous hiss came from its throat, the only sound able to get through the metal staples sewing its mouth shut. A deep blue substance was crusted over its lower arms and right hand, crackling with the motion. _[Couldn't stop it. Can't connect us with her. Failed. Sorry.]_

The red-haired lady shook her head.

It's fine, Zwei. This just… complicates things. For all three of us.

Let's go.

.

* * *

.

 _"_ _Five seconds until surfacing!"_ one of the technicians yelled over the radio. Shinji's breath hitched, his hand automatically going to Unit-01's shoulder pylon.

 _"_ _Four! Three! Two!"_

A plume of magma exploded from the crater, a dark shape leaping up through its centre. The Angel cleared the plume, finally becoming visible. Shinji had only caught a glimpse of it on the feed from Unit-02- but the Angel was _different_ now. Its angled armour was a vibrant red, an extra pair of eyes had grown on the other side of its face, and its horns had moved forwards into an orange crest. With a start, the boy realised- the Angel _looked like Unit-02_.

Underside splitting open into a vertical maw, the mutant Sandalphon soared down, four clawed tentacles drawn back to attack.

.

This wasn't going to be easy, he could tell.

.

* * *

 _"_ _...I have some… some bad news."_

No. No no no, _please_. She didn't want this. Not a second time.

The girl sat in a chair, her father across from her.

 _"_ _Papa?"_

 _"_ _It's… it's about your mum. She's… had to go. She won't be back for… for a very long time."_

Mari watched the scene from the doorway, a look of anguish on her face. She knew what this was. She'd hoped to have forgotten about it, or at least put it out of her head… but here it was _again_ , that awful day from nine years again.

 _"_ _Go? Why? Papa, why?"_

The man sank into his own chair, his gaze slightly unfocused.

 _"_ _It's… she said it was important. Really, really important, Mari."_

The seven-year old squirmed, unpleased with the answer. Mari scooted forwards, looking a little distraught.

 _"_ _I'm going to see her again, right? Mum's coming back eventually,_ right? _"_

 _"_ _I… I really don't know, Mari."_

The older Mari had already turned away, breath catching in her throat. She may not have fully grasped it at the time, but _now_ …

"She didn't," Mari whispered to herself, heading off down the hall again.

"S-she _never_ did."

* * *

.

As she walked, the long hallway changed, the walls shrinking away for metal rails, the carpet disintegrating under Mari's feet. Her shoes clanged on the catwalk surface, catching her attention. The girl stopped, and looked around, turning to one side.

.

Looming over her was the massive, unpainted shape of Unit-05. Its helmet was half on, showing off the interlocking plates that sealed its mouth shut, while the armour from its throat to its diaphragm was uncovered, its red core shimmering faintly. Mari's eye widened unintentionally, the girl's emotional turmoil making even the familiar sight more disturbing than it should be.

 _"_ _This is Evangelion Unit-05. You and her… you're going to do great things together,"_ someone said, far beneath her.

 _"_ _...Unit-05?"_

 _"_ _Yes. She's a very special being, just like you."_

Another day that had changed her. Even if it hadn't been official until two years ago, Mari had been told that she and the cyborg were connected, that _she_ would be the one to pilot it.

It had been one of the best days of her life.

"Unit-05…" Mari sighed, leaning against the railing. What was even happening here?

.

Almost in answer, the Eva lifted a spindly arm from its locks, the taloned hand spreading wide open. The girl blinked; _this_ hadn't happened in real life.

Unit-05's hand distorted, the unpainted steel darkening into a smooth, brown shell. Two more fingers sprouted, the sum total stretching out into gleaming knives. The arm followed suit, segments appearing until the whole was a massive, armoured tentacle.

 _Angel magma fight piercing disarmed swallowed caught trapped absorb._

 _Sandalphon._

 ** _I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU, LILIM._**

Claws outstretched hungrily, the Angel _struck_.

* * *

"Hi there!"

The other girl let out a startled cry, jumping back. Mari burst out laughing, swinging back and forth under the tree branch. The look on the redhead's face was just hilarious, even as she scowled indignantly at her.

"You idiot!" the other girl snapped. "What the hell were you thinking?! You could have hit me!"

Mari gave a goofy grin in reply.

"Yeah, maybe- but I didn't," the recently-chosen Fifth Child said. Her hands reached up, grabbing onto the branch her knees were hooked onto. The girl dropped down, and turned towards the newcomer.

"That's no excuse for you to be careless, _dummkopf!_ " came the response, its speaker planting her hands on her hips in a confronting, aggressive pose. She was a little shorter than Mari was, with long, strawberry blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

 _~Heh, she sounds like some sort of royalty,~_ Mari noted with amusement. _~Waiting on everyone, taking command… pretty enough to look the part, too.~_

"Sure thing, _princess_ ," the brunette replied sassily, responding with a far more casual one-hand-on-hip. The other girl wrinkled her nose.

.

"What's your name?"

Mari blinked.

"Me?"

"Yes, _you_ , _dummkopf_ ," the redhead snapped. "I can't just call you 'that idiot' all the time. Tell me your damn _name_."

Mari smiled.

"Righto! I'm Mari! Mari Makinami-Illustrious! And _you_ , princess?"

"Asuka Langley-Sohryu," the girl replied. "Second Child."

A little later, Asuka's guardian- a Japanese man named Kaji- had shown up, and cleared up some confusions. As it turned out, Mari wasn't the only giant robot pilot in Europe- this Asuka person also had one, a big red Eva called Unit-02. That was what the thing about 'Child' was, apparently.

The rest of the day was just as fun for Mari. Here were people she'd never met before, people whom she hadn't had the chance to screw up with!

It was great.

* * *

.

 _"_ _Just. Fucking._ Die _."_

.

 _It's easy, isn't it? To just slip away, to lose yourself._

 _To the beast._

 _To your hunger for blood, for Life, for power…_

 _...For_ everything.

.

* * *

.

… _Don't leave me._

 _Don't go._

 _Please._

 _I don't want to be alone._

 _You can't let me be alone._

 _._

 _I hate it._

 _I'm afraid of it._

 _Not… not again, I can't be left again._

 _Please, don't leave. Don't run. Don't die, and leave me to myself._

 _._

 _I'd..._

 _...I'd rather be the one to die._

 _._

* * *

.

Thirty hours. That was how long she'd been awake, give or take a couple.

Mari sat in the chair, eyes trained on the girl in bed before her. Asuka's hair flowed over top of the covers, cascading like a river of red…

.

She'd never looked so… lifeless before. On the rare occasion Mari had seen Asuka asleep, she'd always had _some_ semblance of movement; a little twitch, the audible rise and fall of breath, a whispered mumble of a dream…

And now, now there was nothing. Her partner lay there, immobile, silent.

They'd said it would take about two days for her to wake up. Forty eight hours.

.

That meant eighteen were left.

 _~I can stay awake for that long… right?~_ Mari thought, somewhat deliriously. Though she would only barely admit it to herself, the lack of sleep was wearing away at her. The girl was starting to get jittery, the mix of caffeine and exhaustion playing havoc with her conscious mind. It wasn't healthy to stay awake this long, but… but Mari _had_ to be there when Asuka woke up, she just _had_ to.

It wasn't just out of love, or out of stubbornness- though she had both in spades. No, this was… to someone else, Mari would have looked like she had something to prove.

In a way, she did.

 _~I'm_ not _leaving,~_ she thought. _~Not yet.~_

.

She _couldn't_.

.

* * *

.

 _Long, long, long._

 _How much longer will you torture yourself?_

 _._

 _I don't torture myself._

 _You_ say _you don't. But you_ do _._

 _"_ _It should have been me."_

 _"_ _I don't matter."_

 _"_ _I'd rather be the one to die."_

 _Is that not torture?_

 _No._

 _No, it's not._

 _How?_

 _Because I don't hate myself. I never did._

 _Don't you?_

 _If I did, I…_

 _._

 _...Wouldn't care_

 _Oh, please._

 _As if you ever_ cared

 _About living._

 _._

 _._

 _I'm right, aren't I? You don't care._

 _You didn't, not after_ that _._

Shut up.

 _Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up_

 _Why deny it?_

 _No shut up shut up shut up_

Why _, when nothing works?_

 _Just shut up and go away_

 _When everything is bound to failure? When it will all come tumbling down?_

 _._

 _._

 _...If everyone's going to hell_

 _If... every_ thing's _going to hell_

 _._

 _Then who gives a damn what you do?_

 _._

 _Yes._

 _Exactly._

 _Why should it matter?_

 _But I don't want to die._

 _Explain._

 _Even if I don't care, that doesn't mean others won't._

 _I'm important to_ other people _, even if I'm not important to myself._

 _Interesting..._

 _What?_

 _Interesting._

 _What do you mean?_

 _You made that decision. But now…_

 _._

 _Why?_

 _Because_

 _It would be cruel._

 _Cruel?_

 _Who_ cares _if it's cruel? You_ like _cruel, you_ hunger _for cruel._

 _No._

 _Oh, but you_ do _._

 _We know it, both of us._

 _The taste of blood, coating your teeth, your tongue, your lips, your throat… you can't help yourself, can you? That's why you do it._

 _Why you lose yourself._

 _._

 _._

 _Aren't I right?_

 _._

 _._

 _Yes._

 _._

 _But I-_

 _But_ _ **nothing**_ _._

 _You're nothing._

 _You're just..._

 _._

 _...Yes._

 _._

 _... I'm so fucked up._

.

* * *

Sparks sprayed from Sandalphon's armour, the progressive knife clanging off. The Angel curled up an arm, and threw it out like a whip, the back of its hand knocking the weapon from Unit-05's grasp. Asuka spat a curse under her breath, backing up out of range of its attacks.

This wasn't _working_. The Angel's armour couldn't be broken by their progressive blades, the UN forces were gone, and the awful stress of… of losing Mari was eating away at her steadily, and probably chewed away at the other two. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they screwed up, and the flatfish with impenetrable armour skewered one of them.

Unit-05 groaned around her, its flesh body sagging under its plating.

"Come on, just a bit _more_ ," Asuka hissed, reaching up to her other pylon. The fin split open, dropping the spare progressive knife into her waiting hand.

Sandalphon twisted, its claws darting towards the other Evas. Unit-01 ducked to the side, sliding a few meters downhill before regaining its footing.

 _"_ _Hyah!"_ Shinji yelled, thrusting back up at the Angel. Unit-01's fist swung- only to bounce off the Angel's AT Field. The monster's forwards tentacles rose, fingers folding into spikes, before plunging forwards towards the Eva.

 _Pang! Pang!_

Unit-00's flechette pistol barked, knocking the tentacles off-course. Instead of the purple Eva's chest, the two armoured spikes tore through Unit-01's pylons, ripping away the outer coating of the Eva's shoulders. As the limbs retracted, Unit-00 finished its charge around the rim, leaping over Shinji with a rocket-boosted jump in an attempt to land a blow on the monster!

Sandalphon's four eyes swivelled up, and the red Angel lashed out again- and struck. Its tentacle wrapped around the blue Eva's arm, and _yanked_ , swinging the cyborg off-course. The cycloptic machine travelled a full revolution above the Angel, before Sandalphon let go, flinging Rei off the mountain- and down towards Tokyo-3.

 _"_ _Rei!"_ Shinji cried, Unit-01 twisting towards the city.

"Shinji, wait!" Asuka yelled, diving under the Angel and in front of the boy. A spike of pain ripped through her shoulder, as the spike meant for Shinji took a chunk out of Unit-05's servos. Asuka spat a curse, and twisted around, ramming a wheel into the Angel's snout. Something cracked, and the creature stumbled back, a few flecks of blue dripping from the point.

Having finally gotten a few moments of respite, Asuka dropped into a ready pose, knife held in both hands.

" _Stop_ getting _distracted_!" the girl fired at the boy. A few protesting noises came from Unit-01, as the purple Eva turned back. "And stop arguing with me!" Asuka added. "What do you think Four-Eyes or Wondergirl would say if you got taken out from a distraction like that?"

That seemed to do the trick, the boy's voice cutting off completely. Sandalphon shook, and rose back up with vengeance in its eyes. Asuka cursed again, swinging the knife just in time to block a swinging blow.

.

"A-Asuka-"

"What _is it_ , Third?" Asuka snapped, fending off another blow. Shinji sucked in a breath, clearly apprehensive about something.

 _"_ _I... d-doesn't the Angel look a little like_ Unit-02 _to you?"_

.

Asuka's eyes widened. The four blue-green eyes, the red armour, the orange head crest... the Angel _did_ look like Unit-02- she'd just been too distracted by the actual fight to notice it.

But if it looked like Unit-02…

 _~Unit-02 disappeared. What if the Angel…_ absorbed _it?~_

An awful thought- but what made it worse was...

If it _did_ absorb Unit-02, then… what if _Mari_ was in there?

.

* * *

.

 _[Small master.]_

 _[Please. Please come back.]_

A voice in the darkness someone else is present who what why how

 _._

 _Hurts._

Four orange eyes metal staples sealing shut struts and braces arms are broken Angel broke them caked in blood they do not cause too much pain for now

But even so

 _[...]_

 _[Yes. Yes it does.]_

 _[Hurry. Danger._ Please _.]_

 _._

 _...Okay._

 _[...]_

 _[I am…]_

 _It's not you._

 _I'm the problem._

 _[Small master…]_

 _Let's just…_

 _...Go._

.

* * *

 ** _NO. NO I WON'T LET YOU I WON'T YOU CAN'T LEAVE._**

A segmented hand seized Mari's throat, the knife-like fingers cutting into her flesh. Sandalphon lifted its arm, eyes focusing on her, unblinking.

 ** _YOU'RE NOT LEAVING YOU'RE NOT LEAVING I'LL KILL YOU I'LL KILL YOU._**

The Angel's pupils shrank, its tentacled arm quivering with emotion.

 ** _LILIM. I'LL TAKE THIS INTO MY OWN HANDS._**

Flesh and latex met sharpened chitin, and yielded. Red, thick and sticky, dripped down the limb, staining the crimson armour a darker hue. Vocal chords worked, trying to make _some_ sound... but all that came was the merest whisper of a choke, their noise drowned in the flow of blood. Scarlet froth bubbled over her lips, filling her mouth with the taste of iron. All she could do was hang there, feebly struggling as her vision became darker and dimmer...

No!

Something _moved_.

The Angel spasmed, knives retracting from Mari's throat as it whirled away. The girl fell to the floor, red staining her neck and splattering across the ground. Mari coughed and hacked, shoving herself upright with one arm, while the other went to her neck, tracing along the deep grooves. Swallowing shakily, the girl's eyes trained up, looking for what had given the Angel pause.

A cloud of gleaming red hair. Two piercing blue eyes. A ragged, white slash of space that suggested a coat. The jagged blur of motion in a vaguely feminine shape.

Still quivering, Mari stared at the shape, confusion flickering behind pain-hazed eyes. There was something oddly familiar about the… _being_ , even as it jolted and flitted towards the roiling, tumultuous form of the Angel. She couldn't place it, but…

.

"...A… Asuka?" the question was more thought than word, held together by the merest wisps of air. The crimson-haired shape didn't seem to notice the question, gaze fixed squarely on the alien.

You are not welcome here, they spat at the slithering thing, bristling up with barely-contained anger. This shape is my flesh, my soul, my throne... and you are an _interloper_. The damage you've wrought to me and her… be glad I'm giving you a chance. _Leave_.

The brownish mass- for its red had faded with each word- swelled up like a thunderhead, points of light shining in its eyes.

 ** _YOU ARE NOTHING. FRACTURED. FRAGMENTED._**

 ** _I AM GLORIOUS. COMPLETE._**

 ** _WHAT CAN YOU DO?_**

A pair of hands slipped under Mari, breaking what little concentration she had. The girl gaped, the barest attempt of a squeak making it past her stained lips.

 _[Small master, we have to go,]_ the sickly, humanoid _thing_ lifting her up said. Mari stared for a few seconds, before nodding softly. The creature returned the nod, keeping her eye contact with four orange orbs of its own.

 _[Hold on,]_ it warned, grip tightening a little bit. Two of its eyes glanced over towards the splintered mass, and nodded.

The dervish returned the glance, and turned back to the Angel. Her eyes narrowed into slits, icy blue light spilling out.

.

 ** _This_** , the being said.

And the void was filled with light.

.

* * *

.

They were alone- her and her four-eyed saviour. Where they were was… unknown.

 _[...Safe,]_ the being murmured, its stapled mouth not moving. They glanced down, locking gazes with Mari.

"W… what do… you…?"

 _[Synchronise. Connect. For both our sakes,]_ they replied.

.

 _[...I am Zwei,]_ they added.

"M-mari," the girl replied. "How do… What h-happen-"

 _[Doctor is strong. She can hold off the enemy,]_ Zwei responded. _[Long enough for our action.]_

"But-" One hand uncurled, holding a single finger against Mari's mouth.

 _[Trust,]_ the being said. _[You're desperate, small master. I... will lend you strength enough to survive this.]_

Cracks shot across the featureless landscape around them, light shining through. Zwei's other hand released, and Mari floated upright, the rents in her flesh sealing up like clay.

 _[... Ready?]_

.

"... Yes."

Zwei smiled, the ends of its mouth pulling up despite their bindings. The cracks in the world widened, pieces of earth and sky falling away.

 _[Good. Now go. Make her soul whole once more.]_

At once, the cracks shattered, and swallowed Mari in a light brighter than the sun.

* * *

.

.

 _KillitkilltheangelIwantitdead_

.

A pair of eyes opened, in the darkness. Lips slid back into a hateful snarl, revealing clenched teeth.

 _"_ _Unit-02, invert control sequence,"_ Mari hissed, practically spitting out each word. _"Backdoor code…"_

 ** _"_** ** _The Beast."_**

.

Blackness gave way, as the interior of the plug lit up, walls a disgustingly visceral red. A rhythmic thump pulsed through the chamber like a heartbeat, as Mari rose from her seat, dark fluid spilling from the broken ports on her plugsuit. The girl's irises _changed_ to a sickly, glowing green, a pale, verdant film coating the rest of the eyes like gauze as they shone through her helmet.

 _Crack._

 _Crack._

The Fifth Child's body twisted, shaking as the altering form of the Evangelion enforced its mutations upon her. Mari's teeth ground together, biting back a scream.

And then the sensation of Unit-02's broken arms hit.

Mari just barely avoided crumpling from the pain. Components along her arms burnt out, the LCL around them turning dark and murky as the girl howled.

 ** _Kill it kill it kill it_** ** _now_** ** _._**

The primal rage of Beast Mode washed over her, drowning out the pain.

She needed a _weapon_.

 _Arms. Blades. Arms broken._

 _Use teeth instead._

Mari doubled over, her- or was it the Eva's?- teeth ripping at her- or was it the Eva's?- shattered limb, jaw wrapping around the handle of the long edge. Mari _yanked_ , and the limb tore, the stingblade coming free in Unit-02's jaws. Somehow, she knew just _where_ she was- and that the sphere that held the Angel's life- and escape- was right in front of her.

 ** _Now, just_** ** _die!_**

Every fibre of her being practically screaming in pain, Mari angled the sword out, and lunged.

 _Shunk._

.

* * *

The tentacle spasmed, deflecting off Unit-05's knife easily. Before Asuka's eyes, Sandalphon suddenly convulsed, collapsing to the ground and writhing. The Angel's front split apart into its horrible mouth, a keening wail coming from the depths of the being. Startled, Asuka took a step back-

The long, curving shape of a stingblade burst out of the monster's back, its cries spiking painfully high. As the Second Child watched in astonishment, the blade tilted, and ripped down the creature's spine, cutting a line of gore through the previously impenetrable carapace.

What came out next was even _more_ astonishing.

Blade held between thin, needle-like teeth, Unit-02 exploded out of the rip, its maroon armour stained dark and indigo with blood. It only took a fraction to grasp the shape the Eva was in- the lack of D-type equipment, the grotesque elongation of its torn and melted limbs, the limp dangling of its shredded arms, and the two rows of gleaming turquoise cylinders down its spine…

Horror hit Asuka like a punch to the gut. Mari had gone so far as to use _Beast Mode_ \- and if she'd done it while Unit-02 was _that_ damaged...

The Eva spat out the weapon, and let out a warbling howl, shudders running down its body. Unit-02's head snapped down towards the Angel, purple saliva frothing around a tongue that was too big for the mouth it grew from. One leg, knee armour and ankle guard missing, drew up, before the Eva plunged it back down into the split, crushing organs with each furious stomp.

Sandalphon shrieked, and slashed up with a tentacle. As wounded as it was, Unit-02 stood no chance of escaping, and let out a cry as the claws snapped shut around its left arm. The Angel _heaved_ , tentacle whipping away, and yanking the Eva out! Caught by the limb, Unit-02 swung like a catapult's projectile- before its shredded arm gave out, and simply tore out of the socket. Now without an arm, Unit-02 fell down the mountain, and slammed into the ground. That was enough to unfreeze Asuka.

"Mari!" the Second Child yelled, Unit-05 tensing up.

Sandalphon, now freed of its assailant, shoved itself a few meters off the ground, gurgling a dripping blood. Struggling, the Angel lifted a claw to step forwards…

 _Crack._

The Core inside the monster, nearly split in half by Unit-02's stingblade, finally gave out, and split in two. Instantly, the Angel froze, dead.

Asuka didn't care. Not after what had happened to Unit-02... and Mari.

 _"_ _Asuka, go!"_ Shinji yelled to her. _"I'll take Rei, you get Mari!"_

She was already moving.

.

* * *

Asuka had shut off the radio almost instantly after that. Misato screaming in her ear was the last thing she wanted to deal with, and snapping at her superior to shut the fuck up would only serve to exacerbate things.

Unit-05 screeched to a halt at the base of Mount Asama, steadying itself against the deceleration. Unit-02 lay there with dim eyes, its batteries drained at last. Up close, it was worse- Asuka could see every scar, every burn, every bit of harm that had been wrought on her Evangelion. The thought of how it would have been reflected through Beast Mode…

Asuka grimaced, a wave of nausea jolting through her.

 _~No, no, come on!~_

Swallowing it down, the Second Child reached out with Unit-05's claws, grabbing onto the wrecked Eva's back. Brushing away the ejected limiter spines, the girl jammed a claw under the armour plate that covered the plug. The plate came away with a metal squeal, and the Entry plug shot up halfway, steam billowing from the socket. As gently as her shaking hands could, Asuka pulled the cylinder out, and set it down on the ground.

 _~Please be safe, please be safe, please be safe, please be safe…~_

* * *

By the time she'd actually gotten out of the Eva, Asuka's mental chant had gotten worse, a looping plea repeated under her breath over and over. Asuka rushed over to the lain-down plug, heading straight for the emergency release. The girl's hands wrapped around the handle, and pulled. With a hiss, the side of the plug detached and slid back, letting steam and warm LCL pour out. Worriedly, Asuka looked inside.

In the darkness of the plug, something shuffled, rolling away from the light. No, not something. Some _one_.

Mari wasn't facing her, but Asuka could vaguely make out her features. The limp tresses of hair, the tangle of ripped cables, the muted heave of her breathing.

.

"F-four-Eyes?..." the German girl whispered. The Fifth Child curled up slightly, shrinking further into her seat. Mari's response was five words. Five words that Asuka had never heard together before- five words that she'd never _wanted_ to hear together.

.

"Princess…"

"Just... leave me alone…"


	31. Chapter 031

_'_ _Princess…'_

 _'_ _Just… leave me alone'._

.

Asuka sat in her room, the words echoing in her head. It had been… hours, since they'd been picked up, since Mari had been taken in, since that pained request for solitude. She felt… sick. Like fighting the Angel, and seeing its effects had… poisoned her. Or, more likely, it was just the effects of _that_.

The girl groaned, and lay back, hands pressing into her forehead.

.

"...Dammit."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 031: You Can (Not) Escape**

She'd nearly gotten them killed- and it _was_ her fault. Not like Israfel, where it had been a necessity; not like Ramiel, where she'd been completely able to regain control of the situation; not like Sachiel, where the Angel had at least been weakened. No, she had no excuses here. She'd thrown one of them into a nearly fatal environment, against a fully grown, full-strength Angel… and everything had gone to shit from there. If it wasn't for that last minute… _thing_ , then everyone would be dead. The implications, the consequences… it all weighed down on her like a ton of bricks.

And _that_ was _precisely_ why Misato had decided to get completely, utterly drunk.

.

The woman lay on her mattress, blearily staring into her pillow. A few cans littered the area around her. More than a few. A lot. Misato didn't know; she wasn't counting stuff like that. She didn't feel like she was in the right _shape_ to count stuff like that.

.

There was a creak, as the bedroom door opened.

"Wark?"

 _~...Well, at least Pen-Pen's here,~_ the woman thought sluggishly. Misato let out an awful attempt at a whistle, flexing the fingers in a 'come over her' gesture.

"Pen-Pen… c'mere…"

Shoes clopped against the wooden floor, a tall shape blocking out the hint of light. Glancing out of her right eye, Misato could just make out the shape's details.

Like that _goddamn ponytail_.

.

"... Oh, Miso," came the inspector's sigh. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Fuck _off_ , Kaji," the woman groaned.

.

* * *

.

 _Tock, tock, tock._

A knocking at the door grabbed Asuka's attention. The girl sat up, and swung herself off the bed, making her way to the door. Asuka glanced through the peep hole.

It was Shinji. Of _course_ it was Shinji.

With a relenting groan, Asuka thumbed the open button. The boy stopped his awkward waiting, and looked up with a little surprise.

.

"... What do you want, Shinji?"

"Asuka…" he muttered. "I… didn't actually expect you to… answer."

"Well, I _did_ , so... just answer the question, _baka_ ," Asuka sniped. "I don't have the energy for annoyed yelling right now, nor the patience to listen to someone pussyfooting around."

.

"Can I come in?"

Asuka could admit, she wasn't really expecting that sort of question. Not necessarily in that the possibility itself had never occurred to her- rather in that she'd simply thought the boy would have something fairly unimportant to say.

"I- well… s-sure, I guess," the girl stammered. The boy gave a nod of thanks, and came inside, both of them with the same awkward, stilted air of two people trying to avoid talking about something.

Shinji made his way over to the couch, and sat down, soon followed by Asuka.

.

.

The girl swallowed, looking around, before finally turning to the boy.

"So… you're here _why_ , exactly?"

"I… ah…" Shinji said. "Well, I wanted to make sure you were doing alright. I heard that Mari was… was in the-"

 _"_ _Stop."_

The boy clammed up immediately, a startled look on his face. Asuka sat rigidly, hands squeezed into fists as she looked down.

"Just… n-not that. Don't talk about that."

Slowly losing tension, Shinji nodded slowly.

.

"... Also, Misato's… kinda drinking herself asleep," he continued cautiously. "I… I didn't really want to be around that sort of stuff…"

Asuka sniffed. After everything that had happened, she could care _less_ about what happened to her.

"Yeah, whatever," she muttered, dismissively.

.

* * *

.

 _\- Somewhere else._

 _._

 _"_ _Sandalphon is dead," the boy said. Golden light glinted in his eyes, flaring under his skin along the star-shaped scarring on his face. From the throat down, his body was insubstantial and dark, a red sphere submerged where his heart should be._

 _"_ _...And?" his fellow conversationalist asked._

 _"_ And _, sister?" the boy replied. "I simply thought it would be worth your time to know, seeing how you're_ far _more vicious than I."_

 _The disembodied wings flapped, an unamused chorus of notes chiming from the feathers._

 _"_ _I am_ pragmatic _, sibling. If I show no pity for the deaths of my brothers and sisters, it is because we are becoming far more likely to_ succeed _."_

 _._

 _"_ _...How goes our plan?" the wings added. The boy smirked, hands merging with his legs as if they had been pocketed._

 _"_ _Everything is going fine. The old men may suspect my betrayal, but they are completely ignorant of our cooperation."_

 _The wings flapped again, twinkling with a thousand giggles of joy._

 _"_ _As you say, sibling,_ wunderbar _," they laughed. "I shall expect a far longer chat in the future, though…"_

 _The boy nodded._

 _"_ _Of course…"_

 _._

 _"_ _...Arael."_

.

* * *

.

Beast Mode had been… worse than she'd thought.

It was never supposed to be a mainstay tactic- hell, it was practically a mistake in itself. Beast Mode practically tore the Eva apart, and drove the connection between it and its pilot to a dangerous level. Using it was a move of sheer desperation, when the only other option was death.

Mari had been desperate.

.

She'd known it would hurt. Known it would be _agony_ , feeling her body tear itself apart, as bones stretched, and muscles strained, and tissues ripped under the strain. Known it would be horrifying, as the raw fury of Eva was funnelled through her.

But...

.

...She'd never thought it would hurt like _this_. The feeling of hollowness, of vulnerability… like she was melting away. Other people had made it worse at first, an encroaching sense of negativity sweeping over her whenever someone had gotten close. But then she'd been left alone…

No matter how _awful_ the waves of emotion had been, being all by yourself while feeling like you were _dying_ was _infinitely_ worse. And it hadn't stopped there.

.

To her credit, Mari had _tried_ to sleep, tried to get _some_ rest when she was being set up in the solitary room- if only because she was exhausted.

The only problem was that it didn't work.

She'd closed her eyes once or twice before, only to find _it_ waiting for her. The unrelenting stare of vertically paired eyes, the knife-like fingers cutting into her throat…

She didn't get any sleep after that.

.

A few times, when she'd managed to pry herself away from the awfulness, she'd heard someone talking outside- at least, she thought she did. Something about ego decay, metaphysical scarring… and physical contamination.

Mari wasn't sure what scared her most; the reasonless, alien fear… the terrifying feelings… or actually _knowing_ at last what was _happening_ to her.

She didn't want to know. She just wanted it to _stop_.

.

* * *

Asuka woke up with a headache, much to her dismay. It wasn't a hangover or a concussion by any means, but stress-driven irritations were bothersome _enough_. This was not improved by the fact that she'd woken up and _four thirty in the morning_ , and couldn't seem to get back to sleep. So naturally, Asuka had turned to caffeine.

At least the boy asleep on her couch didn't snore. _That_ was nice- even if his presence here in the first place was still a _little_ weird.

 _~Why'd he stay the night again?~_ Asuka wondered to herself, glancing at the sleeping form of the Third Child. At the moment, she had no answers for this- only a furious need for some damn coffee or something. Whatever would wake her up, and keep her from dwelling on things for a while.

.

And maybe she could do something about Shinji later.

.

* * *

"Come in."

The installed security camera clearly proved its worth. Gendo Ikari had seen the inspector coming, with ample time to draw on the proper persona for a meeting. His invitation had been properly timed, just as the door had slid open.

Unfortunately for his nerves- already a little strained by SEELE breathing down his neck at this- it did not seem that inspector Kaji was going to humour him today. The ponytailed man strolled in, and stopped a few meters from the desk, with little hint of a smile left on his face.

"Yes, inspector?" Gendo asked, drumming three of the fingers from his right hand against the top of his left. "What is it?"

"On behalf of the Second and Fifth Children, I'm here to request that you grant them a temporary leave, and authorise a temporary relocation to Fifth Branch."

.

 _~Well, this is unexpected,~_ the bearded man thought.

"And why exactly should you do that?" A genuine question- while the Fifth was clearly hospitalised, the Second seemed to be physically fine, and removing the former from the facilities could easily do more harm than good, resulting in the possibility of an unfinished fighting force…

"Well, for one, it's so that Unit-05 can be repaired _properly_ , alongside the damage to Unit-02," Kaji answered. "The British have experience dealing with severe joint damage, and can probably repair Unit-02's arm cheaper and faster than _we_ can."

Gendo sniffed. A valid point, given that they had to recycle Unit-05's old arms to get it ready for the last operation, but still…

"'For one'?" the man pressed on. Kaji sighed.

"What's your _other_ reason, inspector?"

.

"...It's for the pilots' own sake, Commander," he replied. "I don't know the Fifth well, but I _am_ currently Asuka's guardian, and I know _her_ , so I can make _some_ judgements on the Fifth. If Ritsu- if Doctor Akagi's completely solid on her analysis, and Mari does have damage to her AT Field, that's not going to go away with purely _physical_ medicines."

"You're certainly knowledgeable on the nature of human AT Fields," Gendo replied. "Inspector."

For the first time since he entered, Kaji smirked.

"I've done a bit of light reading," he replied playfully. "Enough to get the basic idea across."

The Commander raised an eyebrow.

.

"You know… if it sweetens the deal any more… I'll have a prime opportunity to see if SEELE-02's hiding anything nefarious," the ponytailed man added.

 _That_ did it. Gendo leaned back in his seat.

"I… _suppose_ I can authorise the pilots for such a trip," he replied. "Of course, they would immediately be called back should an Angel appear…"

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"In that case, inspector Kaji," Gendo added. "I would start getting ready if I was you. Wouldn't want to miss your transports when they come around."

Kaji saluted.

"Yes, sir!"

.

* * *

Mari tensed up the instant she heard the door sliding open, bristling nervously in anticipation.

"Hey there, kiddo. How are you?"

Kaji poked his head in, smiling reassuringly. Cautiously, Mari shrunk back down, her tautly-strung muscles relaxing. She… she knew Kaji- back when he'd accompanied Asuka to Britain. And he… he _was_ nice enough, with a sense of humour comparable to her own.

Did she trust him? Yes, if a bit shakily. Did she trust him _at this moment_?

...She'd have to wait and see.

"C-could be better," the brunette murmured. At least the man was staying by the door, so she didn't have to deal with that… feeling. Kaji nodded, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Well, I think I may have a solution for that." The inspector locked his gaze with the girl.

.

"Mari," he said. "How would you like to go back to Britain? You and Asuka?"

Mari's breath caught in her throat, eyes widening.

 _~B-back to… to Britain? Manchester… home… papa?~_

It sounded almost too good to be true...

.

But damn if she didn't want it.

"Heh, I thought so," Kaji said.

Evidently, the look on her face showed it too.

* * *

Physically, Nerv's regenerative medicines had dealt with _most_ of the damage. The contamination, still hidden under a looser set of bandages, would have to be dealt with via anti-rejection meds for a while longer- alongside the occasional sleeping pill, just in case. Of course, said regeneratives had done nothing for the mental and metaphysical scars- but that was the whole point of the trip.

Mari had sheathed herself in a lightweight hoodie, her posture making her look far smaller than the girl normally did- an oddity only emphasised by her constant reactions. Mari flinched when anyone got within a few metres of her, and generally stuck to the side of whatever pathway she was on, a far call from her usual confidence.

.

Getting to her apartment was… not _too_ difficult. Mari didn't drive, instead letting Kaji deal with that, while she sat in the back seat.

No, getting to the apartment wasn't hard.

What _was_ hard… was actually _facing_ Princess. Especially when Kaji had suggested that she try it herself.

.

"Britain?" Asuka asked. Mari swallowed, and nodded, forcing herself to face the girl.

"Y-yeah… J-just until I… recover." she replied. "P-princess, d-do you think you could maybe… come with me?"

The redhead exhaled, a serious look on her face as she pondered. Mari waited, the conflict between desperate hope and the pain of being close anxiously bubbling inside of her.

Then, an answer;

"I'm coming."

The Brit's heart leaped. Asuka looked up, locking eyes with her girlfriend.

"If my Unit-02's going there, I'm going to go _with it_. I don't want some Englishman fucking up the controls because he can't read German or something _stupid_ like that."

Mari faltered, uncertainty flashing across her face. The other girl bit her lip, the intense blue of her eyes softening.

"That… and I don't trust _you_ not to do something stupid," she muttered. "I'll be keeping an eye on _you_ as well…" Slowly, the Second Child raised a hand, unconsciously reaching out to brush aside a strand of Mari's hair.

"... _Dummkopf._ "

The fingers barely passed a centimetre, before Mari flinched, shrinking back from the touch. Asuka's hand instinctively recoiled, the other girl's breath catching in surprise, before she pulled back the arm.

"P-please," the Fifth Child whispered, slowly forcing the tension down. "J-just… n-no _touching_ , P-princess… N-not yet."

"I… okay."

Asuka nodded slowly, a little shaken by the adverse reaction. The girl stepped back, letting her pass through. Mari entered shakily, skirting around the redhead as she passed into the room. Her hood was tossed back, the thin fabric revealing, not the sleek brown twintails Asuka was used to seeing, but an unbound, desaturated cascade of brittle strands- only in sight for a minute before Mari shut herself in her room.

For a moment, Asuka stared at the closed door…

.

"..."

The girl grimaced, letting out a frustrated breath.

"Four-Eyes…"

.

* * *

.

 _Coward._

 _Failure._

 _Running away..._

 _"_ _Shut up,"_ the girl hissed under her breath, shakily rummaging through her closet. Unsteady hands found the luggage bag, and yanked it out, letting its momentum carry the lump of fabric and metal onto the bed behind her.

 _"_ _Shut up shut up shut up!"_ Mari repeated, yanking open the zipper on the bag furiously, and flipping the top open. The girl turned from one task to the next, refusing to let the unfiltered thoughts have a second of her attention.

 _Because I hate myself._

The last skirt, slammed down into the bag with anger behind it. Furiously, the girl put her mind to other things.

 _~Don't need to think of that. I'm going to London. I'm_ going home _,~_ she thought. _~I'm_ going home _, and I'm_ going to see Papa and be happy _, so I-I'm g-going to_ stop it now _.~_

.

She didn't want to wait. She didn't want to feel alone and helpless anymore.

 _Because I'm weak._

She didn't want for Princess to worry about her.

 _Because I mean nothing to myself._

She… didn't want _this_ anymore.

 _Because I can't bear losses. Not losing someone else… and not losing myself._

 _And I'm afraid._

.

Resigned, Mari returned to her packing.

.

* * *

There were no words from Mari at the harbour, as she and the others waited. No words, as she sat in the shade of the tree, hands shoved in the pockets of her hoodie.

Nothing.

.

At long last, the ship they'd be taking rolled in, horn honking cheerily. The vessel slid to a stop, its crew still working away. One of the workers looked over, and gave a large wave towards the trio, which Kaji returned.

The walkways lowered from the boat's side, coming to rest against the ground.

"Well, this is our ride," Kaji announced, standing up. The man glanced back for a second, following up with light-hearted words. "Come on, you two; it's a long journey to Britain, and I'd rather not tie these fellows up waiting too long."

Mari got to her feet, heading towards the gangplank- only for Asuka's hand to clamp down on her shoulder. The girl spun the brunette around, locking eyes with her.

" _Mari._ "

The Brit's breath caught, all movement gone for a few seconds. Asuka's eyes narrowed a fraction, emotions churning beneath their vibrant blue surface.

.

"You… you _can't_ let this beat you. _Got it?_ " the redhead demanded. "You _have_ to be strong. You _have_ to keep going. Because…" Asuka trailed off, her rock-hard grip softening by the slightest amount.

"...because I've seen what this can do," she whispered. "What it can… destroy. I… I can't let that happen again. _You_ can't let that happen again." The girl's hands slipped off of Mari's shoulders, falling to Asuka's sides. The girl screwed up her face, her distraught expression unhideable.

"Just… just be careful, _dummkopf_. Promise me _that_ much."

.

As Asuka passed by, Mari could hear one last word being whispered out.

" _Please_."

.

And she was gone, disappearing up the gangplank. The words danced in Mari's head, audible even with everything else.

 _You have to be strong. You have to keep going._

"..."

Mari sighed, stuffed her hands in her pockets, and began her walk to the ship once more.

Alone.

.

* * *

.

The rest of the voyage was… similar. Mari stayed in her cabin most of the time, away from the rest of the crew. During the day, she came out mostly to eat; during the night, however…

At night, there weren't so many people to deal with. Mari found a fairly hidden spot with a good view, and spent a few hours watching the sky. It made her feel better- a bit.

As for their journey? From the landing point in Russia, it was just going to be a flight over Eurasia, and another boat ride to London itself. Simple.

.

* * *

 _\- Days later. London._

.

It was with a shaky reluctance that Mari finally stepped off the boat. The girl's frame was hidden under a baggy coat, the hood pulled up over her head. Cautiously, the girl took in a deep breath, soaking up the scents, the _taste_ of the air- of home.

It… it was all there. The greyish sky, the sprinkling rain, the grounded feeling of everything…

"... I'm home," the girl murmured. " _Home_."

.

The smack of boots on wet cobblestone caught her ear. Mari turned, aqua eyes focusing on the man walking up.

He was tall, if a little chubby, wrapped in a dark green raincoat. The hood was pulled back, offering a full view of his mess of short brown hair, his gold-rimmed spectacles, and his eyes- the latter of which were same gleaming blue-green they'd been months ago. He clearly hadn't shaved much for a while, from the fuzzy mustache and the bristly, tangled goatee that surrounded his mouth. Then again, it wasn't like he'd really shaved much before.

Mari stood, staring at the man for what felt like minutes. Finally, she broke the silence between them, hopeful words on her lips.

.

"...Papa?"


	32. Chapter 032

"...Papa?"

"Mari," her father said in turn. "You're _back_."

The man smiled, a kindly expression sprinkled with relief. Mari could see a jitter in his limbs, clearly holding back the urge to run up and wrap her in a bear hug.

"God, it's been only a few months, and still…" he swallowed, and sighed. "I worry, you know. My little girl, over on the other side of the world… honestly, I'm just glad to be able to see you again."

"I'm g-glad to see you too, papa," Mari replied, a small smile of relief playing up in reaction. "It's been… difficult, with the…" the girl trailed off. Her dad nodded.

"I know. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he said back. "Look on the bright side- I'm here again!"

The man paused, and glanced up behind Mari.

"Well, me- _and_ your girlfriend," he said. "Hello there, Ms. Langley-Sohryu. It's been awhile since you last visited, right?"

From halfway down the gangplank, Asuka Langley Sohryu looked down at the two. The girl sighed, and rolled her eyes in clearly mock annoyance.

"Shout it a little louder, why don't you?"

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 032: This Can (Not) Be Fixed**

"Oh, _really?_..." the man replied, his grin brightening a little as he glanced between them.

Asuka's eyes widened, the girl realising all too late her mistake in forgetting that he was _Mari's dad_. And she knew how the girl _normally_ was.

"Well, _I'm sorry_ ," Charles said jokingly. "I must not have heard your approach well enough, _Mari's girlf-_ "

A pair of hands hurriedly pressed his mouth shut- Mari having closed in enough to use her naturally lanky build to its advantage. Giggling softly at her dad's obvious exaggeration, the girl looked up at him.

"I t-think she gets the idea, Papa."

The man smiled back, and gently pushed his daughter's hands off his face. Mari retracted, pulling back despite her amusement.

"Alright then, alright then," he relented.

"Now, I take it you'll be staying here for a while? Both of you?"

Mari started to nod, paused, and glanced over to Asuka. The German girl nodded, and motioned with her chin in a 'go on' manner. Mari exhaled, and finished her confirmation. Her dad nodded back, keeping an eye on the ship as Asuka came down the ramp.

"And the inspector?" he asked.

In response, Kaji finally poked his head out.

"You three go can on," he said in thickly-accented English, still smiling. "I will be busy overseeing the repairs to the Evas. Have your good time, while it lasts."

.

* * *

.

With the pilots heading off to Manchester, Kaji could now turn to one of his other tasks here- getting the Evas checked in, and ready for their repairs.

Unit-02 needed the most work, given the severe damage it had suffered. First and foremost, the Eva would need a new, mechanised arm; between the trauma and intense heat, most of the nerve connections in the joint had been completely destroyed, preventing a spare arm from simply being fused on. The rest of the Eva simply needed general reinforcements, new armour, and reloaded limiters- though Asuka probably wouldn't be adverse to additional upgrades.

Unit-05, meanwhile, was a much simpler beast. Its mechanised limbs meant that they wouldn't have to fuse nerves and link muscles together- only uncouple the old equipment, and recouple the new ones. The simplicity was _very_ welcome.

File dossier tucked under his arm, Kaji leaned up against the wall of the storage bay, contenting himself with watching the two cyborgs, as the multitude of engineers and technicians worked away at them. After all the time it had taken to just _start_ getting everything unpacked and set up with the branch, he felt he could take a little rest. Of course, it _was just_ that; a _start_. He was going to have to do a lot more on this- and he hadn't even started on his... agreement, with the Commander.

The man closed his eyes, smiling to himself.

 _~All in due time, Ryoji. All in due time.~_

.

* * *

 _Click clack._

 _Click clack._

That's how the train went, as it wormed its way northwards, three special passengers waiting in its steel belly. A calming repetition, drummed out on a pair of rails by wheel after wheel.

.

She'd tried, as much as she could- to explain it, to put it into words. It was hard, even with their compartment being soundproofed, even among those she loved the most…

For trauma is a painful thing to bring up. But she'd tried anyways.

"I couldn't fight back," she'd whispered, eyes trained on the countryside as it flashed by- rather than their faces. "I… I'd always been able t-to do _something_ before, n-not to just let it _happen_. And… and I _couldn't_."

"...Didn't even get a chance to."

Mari swallowed, shuffling a little in her seat. That loss of control- loss of the ability to so much as _try_ to resist- it had been just… terrifying.

There was silence. Even wrapped up in dealing with this, the lack of noise from the others was noticeable. And, to be honest… Mari was a little grateful for it. The girl glanced over, catching a glimpse of their faces- Asuka's and her dad's.

.

She swallowed.

"I… I'm not really sure what to... do now," Mari admitted. The silence was a little gratifying, yes, but… at the same time, she hoped a little for _some_ sort of answer.

Slowly, Charles cleared his throat, and took a breath.

"Well… just… try to focus on other things, I suppose?" he suggested gently. "It won't be too long before we get to Manchester… why not show Asuka around a bit? I'm sure she'd want to see what the place is like."

Asuka got the hint, and awkwardly broke her own silence, going along with the suggestion for what _mostly_ seemed like Mari's sake.

"I… yeah, I wouldn't _mind_ being shown around," she muttered. "I've seen London- a _bit_ \- but not Manchester or anything. So, if you want to…" The girl trailed off.

Mari sighed softly, looking at the two of them with gratitude in her eyes. The girl's shoulders slumped a little bit, a small smile crossing her face.

 _~...Thanks, you two,~_ she thought.

.

* * *

.

"T-that's the…"

"Over there; I've, er…"

"The… the… hmm… the…"

"Well, t-there's the… um…"

"...Dammit."

It wasn't long before Mari simply gave up on attempting to describe things to Asuka. The words _just_ weren't coming for her, and being around more people brought back not only a headache, but that awful encroachment as well. The stress was just too much for the girl to focus through.

"Damn, damn, darn, da-"

A finger flicked Mari in the shoulder, the sudden contact jolting the girl from her self-directed frustrations. Reflexively, Mari flinched, and looked over. Slowly, Asuka brought her hand back down, as her blue-eyed gaze met the Fifth's own.

"No wallowing in self-loathing," the German girl said gently. "Okay, Four-Eyes?"

Swallowing, the brunette simply nodded her reply, breaking her eyes away from Asuka's.

.

"...Look, your old man says we're almost there. Now, I honestly don't care what sort of stuff's around here, but I _do_ care what the place I'll be _staying at_ is like. You _don't have to_ worry about all _this_ -" Asuka gestured to her surroundings, "- so, just…" The girl took a breath, pausing to gather her words together.

"Just _don't exacerbate things_. We're here so you can get _better_ , Four-Eyes, not for you to feel bad and stress yourself out and make things _worse_ for yourself… You got that, _dummkopf?_ "

Mari gave a shaky nod. Asuka was right, of course; she wasn't helping herself by trying to do all this.

"Y-yes, Princess," she answered. "I… I'm sorry, I was just trying to-" Asuka sniffed, a tiny smile passing across her face. Mari's voice died, the girl confused.

"... You know, you're kinda starting to sound like the Third Child, Four-Eyes- stuttered apologies and everything," the girl commented, her tone teasing, but soft. Asuka turned away to the path, and beckoned back towards Mari.

"Come on; let's get going."

.

Another hint of happiness, like that on the train, tugged on Mari's heart again. The girl blinked, before following after the Second.

.

From there, the remaining distance seemed to pass by a lot faster than she'd expected, and it wasn't long before Mari's eyes chased Asuka up to the doors of her old house. The girl's shoulders slumped at the sight, the memories of the place resurfacing.

It wasn't too big or impressive- with a family Mari's size, it hadn't needed to be. From outside, what stood out were the few large windows, a pleasantly large porch, and the rather bedraggled attempt at a garden up front. With the mild grey sky and the pre-evening light, it certainly looked like an old, friendly sort of place.

As she walked up the footpath, Mari sighed; though it had only been three or so months since she was last here, it felt like the house was welcoming her back after much, much longer.

Asuka waited patiently at the porch. Knowing her dad, Mari figured he'd already gone inside. And if Asuka hadn't followed him…

"I'm waiting for you, Four-Eyes," the German prompted, nodding to the door. So, that was it; Asuka just wanted _her_ to be the one to show the place off.

Well, it wasn't like Mari was going to disappoint her.

The girl took a breath, walked over, and opened the door.

"Well... here we are," Mari said. The inside looked just as she remembered; Plain, warm, and homey- the second mostly being due to the fact that her mom, unlike most of the country, had believed in internal heating. The floor was smooth, dark wood, while the walls were a simple cream colour. The front corridor led past several rooms along the right and left sides, before ending in another door.

 _The girl blinked, hands freezing around her wrists. She knew that voice. The frown disappearing from her face, Mari looked down the-_

Mari shuddered in momentary horror, the image overwriting her mind for just a second, before she shook herself out of it. That the Angel's encroachment had perverted even a place like _this_ was… awful. Mari licked her lips, and stepped in.

"Um…" the girl started, trying a little small talk as she led Asuka down the hall. "So, there's… only really _two_ bedrooms here, just so you know, Princess. I-I mean, the couch can fold out into a bed and such, so you… um… won't have to- you know- bunk with me, if you don't want to or... anything."

Asuka sighed, as Mari looked away awkwardly.

"...You're saying that as if I don't already know that trying to sleep in a bed with my ego-damaged, currently haphephobic girlfriend is an idea that won't end well for _either_ of us," the German girl replied. "Four-Eyes… I'll just take the couch."

Mari coughed, a little embarrassed. Again, Asuka was right; acting on desperate, contradictory impulses- especially with how she was right now- wouldn't end well for her at all.

Maybe some dinner would help clear her head a bit more.

.

* * *

Dinner was… nice. It wasn't like the sort of stuff that Shinji prepared, but Mari hadn't cared less about that.

Not long afterwards, she'd excused herself, and just headed to bed- even with how nice everything had been, the day had simply gone on long enough for her.

However… sleep did not come easily to Mari. The nightmares were few, but they were all the same. The same as they'd been for a few days.

The Angel. Fingers like knives. Throat filling with blood.

It was all the same.

.

Of _course_ it was.

.

* * *

.

For a convertible couch, Asuka found that the bed was _pretty_ comfy. The girl awoke early in the morning, to the smell of something good coming from the kitchen. Stretching her limbs, Asuka arose, and swung her legs over the side.

Still clad in her pajamas, she made her way towards the dining room and kitchen, drawn in by the promise of food.

To her momentary surprise, it _wasn't_ Shinji at work in the kitchen- though that was because she was in _Manchester_ , not _Tokyo-3_ , she reminded herself. No, instead it was Mari's dad who was working away at the stovetop.

Of _course_ it was.

At the girl's self-irritated sigh, Charles paused, and turned, finding Asuka there.

"G' morning," he commented. "You're up early. Couch work well?"

Asuka nodded.

Mari's dad smiled back.

"That's good. Breakfast will be done in a bit under half an hour, just so you know. I'm making-"

Charles paused, his eyes flitting behind and above Asuka momentarily. Asuka blinked in curiosity. It was then that she heard a tiny squeak of the floorboards.

 _~Oh.~_

A pair of arms slid around the girl's neck, clasping together at the top of her breastbone.

"Morning, Princess," Mari whispered in a strained voice. Still only loosely holding onto the Second Child, the brunette looked over towards her dad. "Morning to you to, papa."

The man smiled.

"Good morning, Mari. How are you?"

Mari's hands unlaced, as the girl slipped around to Asuka's side. She looked… tired. Mari offered up a weak smile, as she leaned her arm against the table to keep herself upright.

"Still feelin' kinda… tired," came the reply. "I… could've slept better. But… 'm better than yesterday."

The girl swallowed, clearing her throat.

"Say… w-what's for breakfast?"


	33. Chapter 033

Breakfast was really good.

Her dad had cooked up some bacon, eggs, and toast- nothing that fancy, but Mari couldn't have cared less about fanciness, not when she just wanted to eat stuff with her family. Simple things like that were just what she wanted at the moment- though the fact that the food was pretty tasty didn't hurt at all.

The girls sat at the table, opposite each-other across the shorter length, while Charles took one of the other ends. Mari sat, a little hunched over her meal, eating scrambled egg off of her toast- her bacon had been finished off long ago. Conversely, Asuka had gone for the toast first, and now worked on the remaining two parts on her plate.

Slowing down for a second, Mari glanced up from her meal, looking at the others. Asuka's eyes flicked up momentarily, meeting the Fifth's gaze, while Charles responded with a longer, kind look.

.

A little smile crossed Mari's face.

It _was_ really good.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 033: You Can (Not) Repair**

"Well... looks like I'm onto day _two_ of this stuff," Kaji said to himself, scooting his chair up to the desk. A pile of papers waited there, his coffee mug sat down beside them. The apartment- or flat, he supposed- that Nerv-London had provided for him was nice enough, if a little small, and was certainly adequate enough for him to do his duties.

At least, the one's he'd _claimed_ he was here for. As for his more covert operations…

 _~That can wait for a while,~_ he thought, taking a sip of coffee. _~Perhaps… tomorrow.~_

.

And, with that, Kaji grabbed his pen, and set to work.

.

* * *

.

"So, everyone, I've been thinking," Charles said. The two girls looked to him, waiting for him to continue. Mr. Illustrious did not disappoint.

"Obviously, it'd be good to get at least a basic idea of what to do today- and, seeing how you two are here for Mari's benefit, I figured _she_ should choose," the man said, and turned to his daughter. "Anything in particular you'd want, Mari? Anything at all?"

Mari took a breath, her brow furrowing a little.

.

"Um…" the girl said. "I'm… not really sure. Maybe…" Lacking ideas, the Fifth decided to go with her standard approach; ask Asuka to help. "...maybe whatever Princess has in mind?" she finished, smiling awkwardly.

Asuka blinked.

"...Eh?"

"I… er… don't know, Princess," Mari explained, fidgeting with her hands. "You… you go."

Asuka stared for a few seconds longer.

"...Fine, then," the girl sighed. "Guess I can take charge from my girlfriend for a while." Asuka turned away momentarily, several possibilities running through her head.

"Hmm…"

Asuka glanced to Mari's dad.

"Mr. Illustrious, do ya know if there's any sort of… I don't know, training building nearby?" she asked. "Like a gym or something?"

"Kinda," Charles replied. "It's not quite _close_ , but it shouldn't take long to drive there." Asuka nodded.

"In that case-" Asuka turned back to Mari. "How about we go and try it out? I don't think you've ever come with me to the one at Nerv, so this isn't just a chance for you- it's also _my_ opportunity to show you the ropes. Hmm, Four-Eyes?"

Mari shrugged.

"Well… I… _guess_ it wouldn't really hurt to try," she replied, keeping a positive expression. Asuka smiled back.

* * *

.

 _\- Some time later._

.

" _That_ could have gone better," Asuka sighed.

As it turned out, Mari _couldn't_ do a decent push-up _for the life_ of her. Granted, that was grossly exaggerating it, but… while she seemed _fairly_ competent at the other exercises she'd tried with Asuka, for some reason a select few- ones that the redhead considered pretty basic- just _destroyed_ her.

From the other side of the bench, Mari groaned quietly, taking another drink of water and wiping her head with a towel for a fifth time. She was clearly out of it.

"I was _wrong_ ," Mari mumbled.

"...It _did_ hurt to try. _Eeeeuuurgh._ "

The girl groaned again, though Asuka could tell that _this_ one was a _little_ exaggerated.

"Look… t-this isn't really working for me, Princess," Mari added, turning a bit more serious. "S-sorry, but I'm just... not cut out for it."

Hints of wetness glimmered in her eyes- Mari was taking this harsher than usual.

"Maybe, instead… how about just some lunch or something for now?"

.

Asuka didn't like it when people started crying. Not only was it a little uncomfortable for her, it- in the case of people she cared about- also made her _feel_ a little bad. Given that… well, 'care' was a bit of an understatement in her feelings for the other girl, it wasn't surprising how Asuka responded.

"I… yeah. That's… that's fine, Four-Eyes. Just…"

Mari exhaled heavily, her emotions stabilising again.

"Thanks, Princess."

* * *

Ultimately, Mari decided on a nearby seafood restaurant for lunch. She'd been there a few times, back before she and Unit-05 had been called to Japan, and had found it to be pretty satisfying- an opinion that wasn't at all challenged this time.

The girl took her time on this one, savouring her meal instead of scarfing it down like usual.

.

 _~...I_ really _hate this stupid emotional thingy,~_ Mari thought, an errant patch on melancholy interrupting her enjoyment. The girl frowned a little, drawing attention from the others.

"Mari?"

"N- _nothing_ ," she replied hurriedly, turning away. "It's… it's nothing, really." Her dad frowned back, and put down his fork.

"Mari, if… if it's anything _here_ , I'm sure I-"

" _N-no!_ " She interrupted. "It's not- it's just- I…" The Fifth Child's words died in her throat, her head slouching down in distress.

.

"The… the food's fine," she mumbled. "N-no problems there. It's just… 'm not feeling so good. Not like I'm sick or anything, but… m-mentally, I guess. It's hard to explain."

Wanting to stop this conversation before it went any further, Mari turned back to her food. She just had to wait, until it went away. That's how it had worked on the way here, so it'd work like that here as well, right? Mari had abandoned savouring the fish; now, she just wanted a distraction- something to remind her that she _wasn't_ in _that place_ anymore, that she was _here_ and _safe_ and-

 _~...and with my_ family,~ the girl thought, finishing off her current piece of fish.

Them. Papa and her princess. She loved them, and _they_ loved _her_ , and they were worried for her and they wanted to help and she, she didn't _want_ them to worry, but…

...but that wasn't going to do anything good, now, was it?

.

Mari didn't know what to do- not with a problem like this.

She just hoped that it'd get better, with a little time.

.

* * *

 _._

 _\- Nerv London_

.

It may have taken a few hours, but he was done. With the stack of papers completed, Kaji set out to turn them in.

The walk to the building didn't take too long. A few sidewalks, a few crosswalks- nothing much at all, and even less to really notice. Kaji was just doing business as usual.

.

Just business as usual.

.

* * *

 _\- The next day_

.

Mari felt... better.

 _Much_ better.

.

Oh, she'd still had a few nightmares last night, yes- but the _other_ problems seemed to be fixing themselves. The girl was no metaphysical biologist, but she… _thought_ that whatever had been going wrong with her ego barrier seemed a lot less active. Sitting down for breakfast with her dad and girlfriend… she didn't feel a bit of encroachment. Nervousness, yes, but it could have been a lot worse- and it was has relief of that which tempered her nervousness. She may not have been fully recovered, but it sure seemed like she was getting there.

.

Of course, her relative nonchalance was completely thrown off when Asuka up and asked her out on a date.

.

 _"_ _?!"_

Mari squeaked indecipherably, staring wide-eyed at the other pilot.

"I- n-not like _that_ , Four-Eyes!" Asuka stammered back, face reddening slightly. The girl looked away, tapping her fingers together anxiously.

"Just… my thing didn't work out for you yesterday, and ...I feel like making it up, t-that's all."

.

Mari sat there for a bit, just staring at Asuka as her mind looped one thought around, over and over again.

 _~My girlfriend just asked me out on a date. My girlfriend just asked me out on a date. My_ girlfriend _just_ asked me out _on a_ date _.~_

"I've never been on a date," the Fifth Child squeaked out.

.

"...W-well," Asuka replied slowly. "I can... fix that."

.

.

"I don't mean to be a bother, but could you two lovebirds hurry it up a bit?" Mari's dad interjected. "I _do_ have to go to work, unfortunately... so if you're planning on going somewhere else, I'm gonna need to know- so I can drop you off there."

.

* * *

.

\- _Nerv London. Restricted section._

.

The man strolled casually down the hall. It was true that he wasn't supposed to be here- but constant tension would do nothing for him.

Silently, Kaji slunk down a leftwards corridor, careful not to make a sound as he did- the man had a feeling that any guard he accidentally alerted would likely shoot first and ask questions later, as Nerv's general attitude seemed to be towards quite a few things.

 _~Should be getting close,~_ Kaji thought to himself. The data he'd found had suggested that there was some anomaly in this area- something that wasn't on the main terminals. Something didn't show up at all, with not even a 'data restricted' marker. But it _was_ on the blueprints, and he'd gotten a copy of those with no hassle at all.

.

If SEELE-02 was hiding anything, _this_ would be where they'd have put it.

At the end of the passageway, Kaji paused. A set of doors sat in front of him, waiting. From this distance, he could make out the writing- "storage bay". Slowly, the man approached them, looking around to make sure everything was clear.

It was.

.

The man grasped the handle to one of the doors, and pulled. The door swung open on silent hinges, a dim, orange-tinged glow shining through.

He looked inside.

.

Kaji's eyes widened in surprise- for there, in the hidden storage bays, were three unfinished Evangelions.

The unfinished part was clear from a glance- none of the three could have had more than half their armour on beyond basic restraints, and even that was mostly just the flexible sheath that went on under the plating. One- the leftmost of the three- was even missing a Core, the cavity in its chest instead containing a red filler piece, marked on the front with a familiar, seven-eyed logo.

The two rightmost Evas were completely identical in design, sporting the same hideous appearance as one another. Instead of semi-humanoid faces, these had the heads of beasts- eyeless and grotesque, with a shape somewhat reminiscent of a whale's. However, their mouths took up nearly the entire head, each one filled with angular, metal teeth, and sheathed by a pair of slimy, red lips, almost suggesting something horrifically grotesque in nature.

What was visible of their flesh was waxy and pale, with a translucent sheen to the overlaying skin. Their armour, what little was attached, had been painted bone white, the only other colours being jet black detailing and a fleshy red around the throat. It was unlike anything he'd expected to find, and the fact that there were two only served to intrigue him.

.

And then, there was the third one.

In some ways, the third Eva was even _more_ baffling than the abominations beside it- because Kaji _recognised_ parts of it. The cyborg's head was sheathed in a pointed helmet, with a jutting, conical forehead, and a band of armour circling from the back of its skull to its jaw. The jaw itself wasn't fully shut, offering a look at another tightly-locked, steel-toothed grin. Rather than individual cameras or lenses, a gold, v-shaped visor covered its eyes, mirrored by a golden arch running up either side of its forehead.

Despite the lack of a chestplate or spaulders, the man could see some of its armour- a deep, militaristic green, cut through with sections of black and white-green. Unlike the others, the third Eva's was advanced and detailed, far closer to that of production models like Unit-02.

.

To him, it almost looked like a _second Unit-05_.

.

The man stayed just long enough to snap a few photos with his concealed camera, before he left. After all, there was no sense in sticking around any longer.

This wasn't good.

Commander Ikari needed to see this.

* * *

 _._

 _Author's Note:_

 _This… took a lot longer than it should have. I would like to explain that I have been coming down with several cases of writer's block during this middle section of the story, which is why it's been taking so long to put out these relatively short chapters. Don't worry- updates_ will _get faster once we pass this section (probably)! Until then, hope you enjoy!_


	34. Chapter 034

"Hey, Rei?"

The question split the silence, drawing the attention of the blue-haired girl. Rei turned, facing the Third Child where he sat.

"Yes?"

It had been a couple hours since the other two pilots had left. In an effort to put his worries out of his mind, Shinji had gone out to take a break at the local park- and had ended up running into Rei on the way there. In a spur-of-the-moment decision, he'd offered for the girl to join him- and she'd accepted. And so, here they were.

"I was just wondering… what now?"

Rei tilted her head, curious.

"...What are you referring to?"

"Well…" the boy said, considering his words. "I guess part of it is… what if something happens to one of us? I mean, Asuka and Mari can't get to Japan instantly if an Angel decides to show up one day, and… I've heard a _little_ about some sort of 'dummy' for the Evas, but it didn't sound very good. What happens if one of us can't…" Shinji trailed off.

"It's just got me thinking a little."

Rei looked away, her posture relaxing a little.

.

"Shinji, I believe I told you something a few months ago," she said. "Back when we were facing the Sixth Angel. Do you remember that?"

"Not… really?"

"I told you that, even when severely disadvantaged against superior opposition, you had proven yourself and your efforts to be successful," the girl continued. "I believe... that my conclusion still stands. You don't have to worry."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 034: You Are (Not) My Friend**

Afterwards, the two spent a little more time at the park- not long, just a couple hours of relaxation. After all, it was a Sunday. They didn't need to rush.

.

When the sun began to sink far from its peak, the two left, traveling beside each other until their differing addresses led them apart. Farewells didn't take long.

That just left them to deal with whatever awaited them at home.

* * *

Judging by the smell, Shinji figured that Misato had probably had a drink already. Probably _several_ drinks, if the last few nights had been any indication. With a sigh, the boy pushed his shoes off, and quietly started towards his room.

"Wark."

Shinji paused, and glanced down at his discoverer. Pen-Pen looked back up at him, meeting the boy's gaze. The freshwater penguin turned his head, gesturing with his beak towards the living room.

"Wark."

Shinji frowned.

"Look," he whispered. "I just… don't want to-"

 _"_ _Wa-ark!"_ his opposer barked, clapping his wings against his sides. At times like these, the language barrier could be annoying, but damned if the bird wasn't going to try. "Wark!" And again, he flicked his beak towards the living room- a rather snippy gesture.

Shinji sighed with exasperation, and glared at the bird.

"You're not going to let this go, _are_ you?"

Pen-Pen shook his head.

"... _Fine_ …"

Somewhat satisfied, the penguin watched, keeping his eyes on the boy as Shinji made his way towards the living room. At last, Shinji's feet hit carpeting. The living room couch faced away from him, its occupant slouched where she sat.

.

"... Hey, Shinji," came the slightly slurred words of his guardian in a rather tired voice.

"Wark."

"Heh. Yeah, thanks for getting him, Pen-Pen," Misato added, before swinging an arm up. "Now, c'mon over here- both of you."

The penguin waddled over, Shinji following him around to the front of the couch. Somewhat dishevelled, but still looking pretty cognizant, Misato exhaled, and motioned for Shinji to take a set in one of the nearby chairs.

.

"Listen… this is about the Angel, isn't it?" the woman said, bending forwards. "Or th' drinking thing. Or _something_ , right? That's... why you've been avoiding me."

"..."

Shinji didn't reply.

"Shinji," Misato said again. "Please."

.

.

"..Yes," came the mumbled reply at last. Misato exhaled, slouching back into the couch.

"There. Wasn't so hard, was it?"

Again, another long pause.

.

"... Alright, since you're not going to talk, _I_ will. And I'll let you in on a secret as well," the woman said. "I also kinda blame myself for… what happened with the Angel. I was the one who decided to go after it immediately, without any further attempts to find a weakness. I was the one in charge of planning the operation, and the one who made that stupid decision. I mean, capture an _Angel?_ Can't believe I thought it'd work, after what happened the last time." Misato took another breath.

"Of course, I won't say I'm to blame for it all. Not when I had the Human Instrumentality Committee breathing down my neck. But, f'r what it's worth, I'll admit that I _did_ screw up, Shinji."

Quietly, Pen-Pen waddled over to the couch, and climbed up. Absentmindedly, Misato reached over and scratched his head a little.

"And... I'm sorry about that."

.

"So... do you think I could get a couple words, Shin-chan?" she asked. "Just a... 'got it, Misato', or an 'understood, Misato'?"

"...Okay," the boy muttered. A little smile crept onto the woman's face.

"Thanks, kiddo. I'll try to make it up to you later."

"Now go on," Misato waved. "I won't keep you busy any longer. Go… do your Shinji things."

On that awkward note, the 'conversation' finally ended.

Thankfully.

.

.

* * *

.

"Psst, Shinji."

"Mmm?" the boy blinked, turning his head away from empty space. Kensuke looked over at him, seeming a little concerned.

"Hey, you okay?" he whispered. "You look kinda distracted."

Shinji gave a noncommittal shrug, and looked away again. Unsatisfied by this, Kensuke decided to give it another go.

"Shinji, c'mon. _Really_ , man, what's going on?"

"...I'm just… there's a _lot_ of stuff going on," the boy answered at last, his voice fairly soft. "Misato's dealing with some issues, _I'm_ dealing with _her_ dealing with those issues, we're kinda… down half the team right now, and I…" Shinji sighed. "Honestly, it's getting harder and harder for me to pretend that I'm having even a _semi_ -normal life at this point."

.

"Well, damn. That's… that's kinda outta my league there, Shin-man," Kensuke replied. "I don't actually know what to do or say to that or anything. And, uh…" the military fanboy glanced behind him, and lowered his voice. "Well, I really can't imagine that Toji would have anything that helps either."

"But hey, how about you see if Rei has anything? She's kinda in the same boat as you, right?" the boy suggested. "And… well, I haven't ever seen _her_ moping around or anything- she's just kinda stoic and stuff. So… maybe _she's_ got something?"

Shinji furrowed his brow in focus. It was true; Rei didn't really show any signs of distress to people- at least, he'd never seen any in public- but lately, it seemed to Shinji that it was more because she had _trouble_ expressing herself, rather than anything else. Really, when he thought about it, it was kinda like _him_ , if a lot more… extreme. Maybe…

With Shinji not having actually responded, or offered any sort of positive reaction he could see, Kensuke moved on again.

"Or… maybe the class rep?" he offered. "I mean, she's definitely got experience fixing things, and she seemed to hit it off with Asuka…" the boy sighed. "Look, I really don't know, man. Sorry."

"Eh? Oh, n-no, it's fine," Shinji said a little awkwardly. "Thanks for trying. I'll, uh… take that into consideration." Kensuke smiled, glad that his efforts seemed to have been _some_ help to his friend.

A few minutes later, the bell rang. Lunch was over.

.

* * *

\- _A few hours later._

.

With how hectic and stressful everything had been lately, Shinji relished the slow walk back home. Neither he nor Rei tended to be ones to strike up a conversation during the afternoon, which let him have a chance to just walk and enjoy the silence. Well, most of the time.

They weren't too far away from the school when a sound caught his ears; the sharp clack of shoes on pavement. Shinji perked up, starting to turn around, when the one responsible called out.

"Ikari!"

The boy's eyes widened in surprise.

"...Class Rep?" he asked, stopping in his tracks.

The pigtailed girl held her bag to her chest as she ran up, slowing to a halt once she got within a few meters of the two.

"Oh, good," she said, catching her breath. "Glad I could catch you."

"Um..." Shinji said, blinking in confusion. "Catch me for... what? I mean, Asuka's not here or anything."

"I know," Hikari answered, standing upright. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you a bit. I promise, it won't be that long."

"...Sure, I guess that's okay."

The girl nodded, and opened up her bag, reaching in for something.

"Alright… now… ah, here they are," she muttered, before removing a few sheets of paper and a letter, and handing the former to Shinji.

"These are for Misato," the class representative explained. "The formal announcement hasn't gone out yet, but the school's planning on having a dance in a little over two weeks, and I was _kinda_ hoping we could get her as a chaperone. It'd just be a really big help for us."

"Oh," the boy blinked. "Yeah, sure, I can give her that. And… was there something else?"

Hikari nodded.

"Yeah; two more things. One is _this_ ," she said, handing over the letter. "It's probably better if you open it later, just because it'll probably take a while. And the second thing is…" Hikari paused, just to take a breath.

"...Asuka and Makinami. I know that they're not going to be in school for a while, but… I _do_ want to know if they're okay or not. Can you tell me?"

Shinji sighed.

"I… sorry, I really don't know. I think… I don't think they're really in any trouble, but… they've been through some pretty stressful stuff." The boy shrugged.

"Well, thanks anyways," Hikari said. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

.

* * *

For the rest of the week, everything seemed pretty good. True to her word of trying to make it up to him, Misato had cut back some on her drinking when he was at home and awake- instead, she'd saved it till the time when Shinji usually started winding down for the day. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was enough that their relationship had started to heal a bit.

His relationship with school hadn't changed much, but… well, that wasn't too big a concern with him, really. He did well for some classes, less well for others… the only real change there was that Asuka wasn't there to help him out on some things.

Of course, that brought him to their absence in general. It was… noticeable. _Really_ noticeable. Shinji missed them, both of them.

Other than that, the next few days weren't all that bad. Between going to school, talking with his friends, and just hanging out with Rei, things had started to look up for him.

And that was when he got the call.

* * *

 _._

 _Ring! Ring! Ri-_

"Katsuragi residence- what can I help you with?" the boy asked, taking up the phone.

 _"_ _Hello there, Shinji Ikari,"_ came his response, the voice notably soft and silky. _"I just wanted to talk with you, for a little while."_

The boy's brow knit. He'd never heard this voice before- but something about it seemed a little familiar.

 _"_ _I assume you're wondering who I am,"_ the voice continued. _"I can assure you, there is no need to worry. This line is a secure one. I am like you; a child with abilities that make me…_ useful _to Nerv."_

"Y-you mean you're a-"

 _"_ _That's right. I'm an Evangelion pilot, just like you,"_ they said, a hint of catlike amusement creeping into their voice. _"My name is Kaworu Nagisa- though you may call me Kaworu, Shinji Ikari."_

The familiarity at which this… 'Kaworu' spoke was a little bit disconcerting for the boy, making his response a little more unsteady than normal.

"Um… o-okay… what did you want to…?"

 _"_ _Whatever works for you. There's only so much one can learn from reading a file; I wish to get a better sense of you, from your own words. After all, we will eventually be working together."_

This was news for Shinji. He hadn't heard anything about another pilot joining them, and even considering the limited info that Nerv actually gave him, he figured something as big as that would have at least been mentioned.

"We _will?_ "

 _"_ _Oh, not for some time, I'm afraid,"_ Kaworu replied. _"It will be several months until I'm allowed to leave Germany, even_ if _my Mark.02 doesn't accompany me. However, I believe that planning in advance always pays off,_ especially _when considering one's relationships. Would you rather_ I _start?"_

Shinji shrugged, not really sure what else he'd do here.

"I… guess?" the Third Child said, a little hesitantly. The other pilot, however, clearly didn't have the same nervousness.

 _"_ _As you wish,"_ he said. _"Now, I was curious; what is your experience with music?"_

"I think it's… good? I have an S-DAT that I listen to, if that's what you mean."

 _"_ _Ah. Well, to be honest, I was actually curious as to whether you have any aptitude with playing. My... experiences with Miss Sohryu have been rather negative on that. Her dexterity may be impressive, but she prefers to use it in ways_ other _than the production of music."_

"Well, I do practice cello a little," he admitted. "I don't really play too often, but I… I do have it. Do you play something?"

 _"_ _Piano,"_ returned Kaworu, in a very casual manner. _"I actually have a Yamaha Yamaha CF III that I do most of my playing on- one of the last ones made before Second Impact, actually. Perhaps we should play for each other a bit, when we finally meet."_

"I guess?"

 _"_ _I apologise if I'm a little too exuberant, by the way; I'm just... more than a little excited by the prospect of eventually working alongside my fellow Children."_

"Oh, um, it's fine," Shinji replied. "Not a problem."

 _"_ _Thank you. I'm glad I haven't caused an issue for you... Now, I_ will _unfortunately have to cut this a little shorter than I would have liked,"_ Kaworu sighed. _"However, I would like to leave you one last thing- could you do me a favour, and pass it on to Miss Ayanami as well?"_

"Sure… Kaworu," the boy answered. This other pilot seemed like he was a pretty nice guy, if a bit… talkative. He could do an easy favour like that. "What is it?"

There was a slight pause.

 _"_ _... Shinji, know that there is_ nothing _truly insurmountable in this world. With strength, cunning, and persistence, even the hardest of challenges can be overcome- even if it seems completely and utterly invincible. Know this, and remember it."_

The boy chuckled then, a soft and mirthful noise.

 _"_ _And yes, I am aware it sounds a little cliché. Still, it may prove useful for you two. I'll be looking forwards to our next conversation, Shinji Ikari."_

 _*Click*_

.

Slowly, the boy set down the phone.

"...Kaworu Nagisa," he mumbled, trying out the name. "Huh."

 _~Maybe I should ask Asuka about him sometime.~_

.

* * *

 _~Shinji Ikari,~ thought Kaworu Nagisa, as he strolled down the hallway. ~I'll enjoy working with you.~_

 _~… Again.~_

* * *

.

\- _The next day._

.

Shinji awoke a little later than usual, with a bit of tiredness still lingering around him. Still, the half-conscious boy managed to make it out of his room and down to the bathroom, where a splash of cold water on his face brought him sharply to full awareness.

He was just on his way to the kitchen when he heard a familiar voice come from the living room.

"Oh, Shinji~" came the call. "Come here, I've got some good news for you~"

The Third Child paused.

 _~...Misato's up already?~_ he wondered. Evidently, he must have woken up even later than he'd thought, since there was usually a sizeable wait until he saw Misato in the morning. Drawn by curiosity, Shinji turned, and headed towards where his guardian was.

"... Misato?" he said, as he walked into the room. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect; then again, it wasn't often that Misato called him over for good news anyways.

Either way, he still wouldn't have expected to find _Rei_ there as well.

"Good morning, Shinji," the blue haired girl said from her chair, looking over towards him. Opposite her on the couch, his guardian waved cheerfully, and patted the cushion next to her, motioning for the boy to come over.

"Uh… good morning to you too, Rei," the boy said, a little late to his response as he took a seat.

"Sorry, but…" Shinji glanced at Misato, and back to Rei. "Um, out of curiosity, why are…"

" _That's_ the good news I wanted to tell you, Shinji," Misato replied. "Rei's gonna be moving in with us!"

Shinji's eyes widened in surprise, and snapped over to Rei.

"You _are?_ "

The First Child nodded in reply, her calmness a stark contrast to Shinji's startled reaction.

"Yes," she answered. "Captain Katsuragi thought that perhaps it would increase our morale and familiarity if I lived closer to the rest of the pilots. Neither I nor the commander saw any issue with it, so her request was approved."

"Well," Misato added. " _That_ , and I figured it could do _me_ some good as well. Anyways, we figured it'd be a good idea to get it done earlier today, so it's out of the way later. Thoughts, Shinji?"

"Well, I…" the boy sighed, tension bleeding out of him. A faint, thankful smile grew on his face. "...I think it sounds pretty good. Thanks, Misato."

"No problem, Shinji!" the woman said back.

Across from him, out of the corner of his eye, the boy noticed something; a tiny smile, flitting across Rei's face.

Things really _were_ starting to look up for them again.


	35. Chapter 035

Deep beneath the waves, something lay, waiting. Partially buried in the seafloor itself, the details of the object were hard to make out, but its shape was clear- a massive, ribbed ovoid, measuring at least thirty meters along its axis, if not longer.

Slowly, a dull, red light suffused the shape, illuminating the dark waters around it in a hellish glow. Seconds later, the light faded away, just as slowly as it had appeared. And then it repeated the shift. And then again. And again. Each time, the light pulsed a little faster, building itself up to the point where it was almost constant in its presence…

An eye opened inside the shape.

Still glowing red, the ovoid changed, six long legs unfolding from its sides in eerie silence. The remaining shape lengthened and thinned, becoming something like a cylinder or pestle in its design.

The being focused.

With a painful scream, the ocean around it vaporised, a burning halo suspended meters above its top. The legs bent, and shot out, their owner leaping up through kilometers of water in a single bound. As it soared towards the surface, the red glow finally faded away, leaving only the glow of its halo.

The Premonition of God had finished waiting.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 035: You Are (Not) My Foe**

 _~Damndamndamndamn_ damn _,~_ Misato cursed to herself, dashing through the doors to Central Dogma. She knew that the Angels weren't going to stop coming just yet…

 _~But it's been only two weeks since the_ last _one!~_ she wanted to protest.

"Alright people, what's the situation?" the woman demanded, coming to a stop at her post.

"The target first appeared in the Bering Sea, less than half an hour ago. It's going to take a while before we can get any sort of visual on it, but the MAGI are already plotting its most likely trajectories. Bringing it up now," one of the bridge crew relayed, as a world map flickered up on the screen. At the sight of the yellow cone that marked the being's pathway, Misato frowned.

"Wait, it's _not_ heading towards us?" she asked- for instead of aiming towards the southwest, the cone was pointed due _north_. "But why? The only thing in that direction is…"

The answer hit her like a blow to the gut.

 _"_ _Shit."_

Misato whirled around.

"Makoto, get Bethany Base on the line!"

* * *

Charles Illustrious was reading a newspaper when his phone rang. Well, 'reading' was a bit strong; something like 'browsing' would be far more accurate, as he simply skipped over chunks in order to find the parts he felt like reading. In any case, he wasn't too bothered by having to put the paper down.

Abandoning his attempt to find something entertaining, the man excused himself from the living room, and stepped out into the hallway to take the call. A quick glance at the number told him something a little worrying; it was from Nerv.

"Hello?" he asked, holding the cell to his head. "Illustrious here."

As the person on the other side began to talk, the man's expression swiftly became more and more concerned. His brow furrowed.

"...Wait, you're _sure?_ "

They were.

"Damn," Charles muttered to himself, before replying back to the speaker. "Alright, understood. I'll make sure to let them know. We'll be over as soon as we can. Thank you."

 _Click_.

Charles took a deep breath in, and sighed, pocketing his phone almost reluctantly. Slowly, the man looked back to the living room, where Mari and Asuka sat on the couch, the former cuddled up against the latter.

"...Hey, girls?" he asked. Mari flinched a little, and both turned towards him.

"I… have some bad news," he confessed. "Nerv's detected an Angel. They want you two at the base, in case London has to deploy."

Neither of the two replied immediately, but Charles didn't need words to understand their concern- Mari's especially.

"A new Angel…" Asuka murmured under her breath, and looked up at the man. "Okay then."

"Mari?"

Charles' daughter nodded, just a little hesitantly.

"Y-yeah… I'm… I'm okay," she said. "Let's go."

.

* * *

\- _Bethany Base, the North Pole._

.

Shots rolled out across the water, the base's defenses throwing everything they had at the Angel in an attempt to slow it down; cannons, missiles, anything. Almost all of it was repelled, bouncing off or detonating against the glowing barrier before it could hit. The Angel simply kept on coming, floating closer with its legs tucked behind it… until it came close enough to strike back.

Matarael's pupils dilated.

.

A torrent of orange fluid rushed forwards, spraying along the outer walls and washing over defensive emplacements. Anything loose was flung away, while the jets tore their way across the sides. But that wasn't the worst of it. As soon as the flood died down, the viscous liquid began to hiss and sizzle, acrid smoke soon pouring from whatever had the misfortune of touched by it.

As the solvent ate away at the fortress's defenses, the Angel ceased its advance, and began to sink downwards. Then, joints cracking and creaking, its six legs unfolded- each one more than twice as long as the Angel was tall, and sheathed in a dark green shell. The creature's halo dimmed, before it touched down on the ice, each slender limb supporting its body with minimal effort. Almost leisurely, the Angel resumed its advance, stalking towards the damaged section as the walls sagged and melted. After all; with its attack having already stripped the area of most of its armour, removing the last of what stood in its way would be _child's play_ for the Premonition of God.

Brushing past two of the outer pillars, the Eleventh Angel tore into the side of Bethany Base, ripping chunks from the weakened armour with its talons until it could shove its body into the Styx Perimeter Loop. With dogged persistence, the monster threw itself further into the depths of the facility, hacking away at the walls of the numerous tunnels and corridors like a thing possessed.

At the very bottom of this place, it could feel something- very faint, very weak, but still _alive_. Something that made it redouble its efforts.

Its sibling was waiting for it.

.

* * *

Mari was worried. While she may have recovered a lot since Sandalphon, the thought of actually going face-to-face with one of those monsters again was not a happy one- not with the memories that came up when she thought about it. The girl sat slouched in her seat, resting her chin on her arm as she stared out the window, watching the world flit past.

 _~Come on, Mari, it's not like we're_ guaranteed _to deploy,~_ she thought. _~… But we might as well be.~_ After all, if it was just doing the normal Angel thing, then there wouldn't be any need to get them to the Evas- especially when they were on the other side of the planet. That meant that the Angel _wasn't_ acting normal.

So much for trying to boost her own confidence.

Fortunately, it seemed like someone else was more than willing to do that, and _far_ more able as well. Asuka wrapped a hand around Mari's shoulder, and pulled the girl over to her.

"Hey, come on, Four-Eyes," the German girl said, an upbeat look on her face as she tried to lighten the mood. "It'll be a lot better this time. After all, there's two of us- along with whatever new upgrades they've put in our Evas- against _one_ Angel. We'll beat this thing."

Mari sighed.

"Yes, but-"

"We've done it before, haven't we?" Asuka interrupted.

"Yeah," Mari replied. "That's why we're still here, Princess. That's why we're-"

"-heading out to kick some more ass?"

The brunette narrowed her eyes at her girlfriend, slouching purposely. For a few seconds, she just glared, before raising an eyebrow.

"...You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" she muttered. Asuka flashed back a cocky smirk, and pulled Mari a little closer.

" _Obviously_ ," the girl replied. "You didn't think I'd just _let_ you keep this stupid, defeatist attitude- did you, Mari?" Asuka's eyes softened for her, revealing a little of what hid behind her exterior to Mari. The redheaded German was anxious as well… but not about the Angel, about _her_. She didn't want to risk losing someone to despair again, not if she could try to stop it. She'd brought her confidence and determination to the front, trying to use the worry and desperation to help her efforts, rather than hinder.

.

 _~If Princess can do it... so can I.~_

"Nah," the brunette sighed, before offering a teasing reply. "That wouldn't work for the great Asuka Langley Sohryu, now would it?"

A speck of genuine humour flashed in Asuka's eyes, her smile twitching.

"You've got that right, Four-Eyes."

.

* * *

.

The Angel's flesh steamed, flakes of shell peeling off as it took an uncertain step forwards. Behind it, the last remains of the Cocytus system lay scattered. Despite the all-penetrating pain suffusing itself, despite having its Light weakened and shredded by the hellish spires, it continued onwards. The Lilin's last defense had failed- _nothing_ would stop it now.

Matarael's claws sank through the final armour layer, peeling it open as if it were wax. From within, a cool light poured in, freezing vapours turgidly rolling out.

.

Before it was a serpentine creature, its segmented and curled body coated in a cracked, crumbling exoskeleton. The nape of its neck was locked within a veritable slab of metal, held about 20 meters off the ground, while a thin cylinder shoved through its throat trailed a mess of red wires from either end. Its massive body lay arranged in a coil around the slab, held down by thick bands of alloy. The creature's head hung completely downwards, the sockets of its ivory skull dull, and lifeless.

But it wasn't. Matarael knew it wasn't. The Angel stalked forwards, stepping daintily over the coils of the other being's body, until it stood before the serpent's head. Slowly, its legs reached out, the talons brushing against the sides of the skull, before sliding into the brace. For a few second, nothing.

An ear-splitting crack rang out, as the Angel tore the neck clamp apart. Fragments of once-operational containment systems crashed to the ground, clanging as Matarael twisted, bringing its incredibly sharp claws to bear on the other restraints around it, each one shattering with an almost musical chime- until at last, the noise began to die. The being turned around again, its eyes focusing on the hanging head.

Its Light reached out.

.

 _Sibling._

 _Awaken._

.

The serpent's empty sockets ignited, glowing acid green for a second before shifting to a vibrant crimson.

Hofniel, the Fighter of God, the Third Angel... looked up and Spoke.

 **YOU.**

.

* * *

\- _Nerv London._

.

Finally, Charles' car came to a stop, right at the front of HQ's entrance. The trio of occupants unbuckled, and got out, all moving to the curb for a moment of respite. The man sighed, and turned to his daughter and her partner.

"...I won't keep you two busy any longer than I have to," he said a little sadly, having accepted that he was going to have to let them do this. "So, just… do well, okay?"

Mari suddenly threw her arms around her father, pulling him into a crushing hug.

"...Love you, papa," the girl muttered into his shoulder, letting her composure down for a moment. The elder Illustrious gladly returned the hug, and held her for a few seconds.

"I love you too, Mari."

The two pulled away, taking a step apart. Mari sighed.

"I guess... I should get going now. See you later."

Charles nodded. Slowly, the two girls turned towards the building, heading towards the door with a wave farewell. Mari went first, Asuka following after-

"Oh, Asuka?"

The redhead paused, and turned in the doorframe to glance at the bespectacled man.

"Yeah?"

Charles Illustrious smirked.

"Just so you know, whenever you're ready… you'll have my blessing."

For a second, Asuka frowned, uncertain as to what exactly Mari's dad was talking abo-

 _~Oh.~_

The girl promptly turned pink.

"Y-you- I-"

Unintentionally stumbling over her words, and a little pressed for time, the girl gave up on trying to put out a retort. Instead, Asuka settled on pulling down one of her eyelids, and sticking out her tongue, before dashing back inside.

 _~R-really? He's gonna bring_ that _up at a time like this?!~_ she thought furiously to herself as she headed down the hall. _~That… I… I-it's way too soon for me to even be_ considering _that!~_

Hopefully, she'd be able to hide her blush by the time she caught up to Mari. The far future was the _last_ thing she needed on her mind right now.

* * *

.

The new plugsuit was pretty nice, Mari decided. Like the other ones in use, it was a third generation model, equipped with a number of technological advances and practically devoid of the issues her old one had- and like the others, it'd changed colours when she'd put it on. While the colours weren't bad, being a mix of army green and silver similar to her first suit, Mari couldn't help but feel that they didn't really fit the new model- perhaps something a bit lighter and softer? The girl turned on the nanofilament control system, and cycled through a few variations on her walk over towards the changing room's exit. Orange, turquoise, smoke grey…

"Ah! Perfect!" the girl grinned, locking in the new selection, and taking a glance over herself again.

The plugsuit was a sharp looking outfit, with the subdermal armour along her limbs offering soft but defined angles to her physique. The inner surfaces of the joints, arms, and sides of the body were a glossy charcoal black, along with a v-shaped band across the top of her ribs. Like the first model, many of her details were lit up in turquoise- the core at the base of her sternum, the orbs on the ankles and backs of the hands, along with her throat armour and the ridged ribs on either thigh- while a dark red band wrapped around the top of each shoulder. The synchronisation gauntlets were a lot sleeker, each one an almond-shaped plate that splayed out into a two-lobed guard at her wrist, with a retractable purple inset hiding the connection ports for the cables.

Then, of course, there were the main differences from the old suit; namely, the primary colours. Mari's new choice was mostly cerise, though it kept the silver-white armour- four almond-shaped plates along her stomach, and two larger ones replacing the banded armour on her breasts. It didn't seem to come with any helmet, which left her with the standard headband on her head.

The sound of Asuka's footsteps brought the short look-over to an end, and drew the girl's attention to where her red-suited partner stood. For a second, Asuka glanced up and down, taking in the sight.

"...You look good in pink, Four-Eyes," the redhead muttered at last, before flashing an approving grin. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Mari nodded, and clapped a hand around her girlfriend's shoulder, squeezing the glossy red surface. "So… let's go see what else they have in store for us."

.

.

* * *

\- _Nerv London, Eva Hanger launch tubes._

.

Any doubts Mari may have had left over faded into background noise when she got into Unit-05. There was an eager energy to the mecha, the start-up sequence carrying with it a familiar enthusiasm, much like that which Mari herself was known for. It was like the Eva was happy to see her again- and remembering just how alive the cyborgs had seemed to her before, Mari wasn't going to dismiss that.

LCL, lights, and a wave of pressure all washed over her in sequence, before the synchronisation lines leading to her gauntlets and the lights of her plugsuit began to glow a soft green.

"Mari here," the girl announced to her comms. "Unit-05 is active and fully ready to go. My synch's reading about seventy-nine percent."

"Asuka and Unit-02," the other girl called out. "Synch ratio's at eighty-three percent, with a fluctuation of point two. Everything's good on my end."

The comms crackled, before the London operations director spoke up.

 _"_ _Alright, you two. Both your Evangelions have been reworked for greater efficiency and output, so expect to have a much higher ceiling to push with them. Unit-05, your holsters have been relocated to the forearms, and we've enhanced the mobility and durability of your prosthetics. The Lance has also been extended and modified a little, based on your unit's combat data. Unit-02, your reconstructed eye and arm feature a number of improvements in coordination and precision, and the latter has an emergency detonation system."_

 _"_ _However,"_ they sighed. _"I do have some unfortunate news."_

 _"_ _The Eleventh Angel, codename Matarael, has… destroyed Bethany Base, and freed the Third Angel._ Both _Angels are now on-route to London, for reasons unknown. That said, reports suggest that the Cocytus system was activated, so their AT Fields should still be unable to reach full strength by the time they arrive- but they're still Angels, so don't underestimate them."_

Mari grimaced, emotions churning in her gut. Fear, shock, worry… and a spark of anger. _Destroyed_ , the director had said. Not 'attacked the base', not 'penetrated its defenses', but _destroyed_. She may not have stayed there long, but she'd known people there- nice people, friendly people, good people. It was like how it'd been with Asuka and the Joint Pacific Fleet… except Asuka hadn't been linked to a cybernetic war machine when she'd gotten the news. The spark of anger grew in the gestalt mind of pilot and Eva, metal talons curling into a fist at its side.

Before the cyborgs, the launch lights began to light up in sequence.

Three…

 _"_ _With that said…"_

Two…

 _"_ _Give them hell, you two."_

One.

 _"_ _You may launch when ready."_

.

Mari looked to the left, a screen popping up to show the interior of Asuka's plug. The redhead looked back at her, looking just as ready as she did. Mari nodded.

"Let's do it."

The two turned back forwards, and tightened their grips on the controls. In the back of her mind, Mari could feel Unit-05 tensed, waiting for the moment where its beloved pilot would allow them to join the fight at last. The Fifth Child didn't intend on making it wait much longer.

"Evangelion Unit-02 Gamma…"

"Evangelion Unit-05 Beta…"

 _"_ _... Launch!"_


	36. Chapter 036

"Evangelion Unit-02 Gamma…"

"Evangelion Unit-05 Beta…"

 _"_ _... Launch!"_

With a jolt of electromagnetic acceleration, the two cyborgs shot up from the subterranean hanger towards the surface. The brakes bore down on the platform, bringing them to a smooth stop a few seconds later. A metallic clang echoed from each cage, before the restraints fell away, the Evas' bodies slumping a bit from the ramrod straight positions they'd been held in.

Slowly but steadily, Unit-02y took a step forwards, umbilical power cable flowing down from its spine. The cyborg lifted her left arm up into her field of vision, and gave the mechanical fingers an experimental wiggle, before clenching them into a fist.

Unit-02y huffed approvingly, a cloud of steam jetting from the openings in its helmet.

 _"_ _Well,_ this _is promising."_

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 036: You Can (Not) Co-operate**

Mari didn't really notice the upgrades to Unit-05 at first, until she actually turned her attention towards finding them. Then again, Britain had been responsible for developing Unit-05 in the first place; it'd only make sense that their additions would have been integrated almost seamlessly. Like the director had said, the storage holsters had been removed from her Eva's shoulder pylons and moved to the forearms, where the ulna fins would usually be on other models. Curious, the girl reached across and drew one of Unit-05's progressive knives, getting a feel for the action before replacing the blade.

"Hmm. Not bad," she commented. While it might be hindering if she lost an arm or something, at the moment using the new holsters felt just as smooth as it did when they'd been shoulder-mounted.

As for the other upgrades? Well, she'd have to wait on checking the mobility and structural improvements for the actual fight, but everything seemed to be moving together nicely. Interested in what else there was, the girl called up the status screen, and checked for new additions she might have missed. Skimming through the list, Mari spotted a few things of interest- a new pair of cranial guns, some split-extension mechanism for the pylons, a rear clamp, retracting engine panels on the legs, a slimmed down N2 backpack...

"Hey Princess, how's your Eva?" Mari asked, closing the status screen and looking back up at the displays. Unit-02y looked mostly the same as it had used to be- save for two parts. The Eva's helmet had been completely reconstructed, with braces set into its new jaw plate, and two short prongs protruding from its forehead between a pair of stubby barrels. Even more of note, however, was Unit-02y's mechanical left arm. While its shape matched that of the old limb, the prosthetic was clearly an alien part, with numerous segmented plates protecting each joint and a more angular design as a whole. Only the fingers and outer surface of the forearm were red- the rest of the armour was all in a variety of grey tones.

 _"_ _Feels pretty solid,"_ Asuka replied. _"Honestly, I'd barely know that the arm was artificial if it didn't look this way. It's good to be back in Unit-02. And yours, Four-Eyes?"_

Mari smiled softly.

"Well, I'm pretty much the same. The guys really did a good job here."

"That said," she commented. "We should probably arm up; I don't feel like fighting an Angel with my bare hands another time."

Command must have been listening, because two false buildings- one on either side of them- promptly swung open, before a rack of equipment slid up into each one, filled with all manner of weapons designed for Evangelions to use. Without hesitation, Unit-05 reached over and pulled one out, bringing the newly-improved Lance of Cassius to her side. The Lance had been stretched out further, with the pommel turned into a miniature lance shaft all of its own, and a ring of panels added in front of the main shaft's stabiliser gears- both of which should give her some more options when using it, if the trigger on the handle was any indication. Now armed, Mari glanced towards her partner, making sure they were both ready. Unit-02 looked back, a two-handed battleaxe held casually in her grip, and nodded.

A few seconds later, an alarm went off. A hologram popped up, displaying several sentences to the pilot.

 **[Warning, Pattern Blue Detected]**

 **[Double Event]**

 **[Third Angel - Hofniel: Identified]**

 **[Eleventh Angel - Matarael: Identified]**

.

In the distance, through the haze of rain, two massive shapes moved towards them.

* * *

.

The first one was clearly the new Angel- Mari didn't recognise it at all. The holographic indicator that popped up next to it only served to confirm the thought.

Matarael was… odd. To be honest, Mari thought it kinda looked like a harvestman with a salt shaker for a body, or possibly a severed head with a tall hat. Its main body was a rough, off-white cylinder about thirty five meters tall, which rounded off at its bottom into an ovoid 'head' with a dark green abdomen growing from where a neck would have been. Above the head, its shell rose out like a brim, before cutting down the middle of its owlish 'face' like a beak between a pair of almond shaped amber eyes. Right above there on the brim were four more eyes, these ones small and circular. The final one was at the top of its body, where the carapace flexed open like a set of vertically-oriented eyelids, exposing an eye about the size of Unit-05's head, with an indigo iris.

About where the 'head's ears would be, Matarael had grown three pairs of legs, each one more than twice as long as the Angel's body was tall, and covered in shiny black armour. These legs stepped precisely through the mess of buildings as it advanced, their curved claws leaving behind punctures in the ground with each step.

And then… there was the other one. Hofniel.

This one hadn't changed much from the last time she'd seen it... even the damage she'd done still seemed present, though it had clearly compensated for it. Hofniel's slithering body resembled that of an eel or a _lung_ \- if the eel's flesh was covered in black, skeletal plating instead of scales. Its ruined legs had grown a little since their destruction, though the short, insectile limbs were far from the great reptilian claws it had once possessed. Its neck had also healed poorly, a perpendicular chunk of bone coating the restraining bolt. However, its head was still the same; a jawless skull atop a glistening red core, with three flexible mandibles shielding it from underneath. The only difference here were its eyes- and here, Mari was given pause.

When she'd first fought Hofniel, its eyes had been green. Now, they were a deep, angry red.

.

 _"_ _Evas,"_ the director announced. _"Your top priority is to destroy the incoming Angels. Do not attempt to disable, do not attempt to capture or recapture; destroy them. As London lacks most of the infrastructure for surviving combat with Angels, I also ask that you minimize collateral if and when it is possible to do so. Understood?"_

"Yes, sir!"

 _"_ _Yes, sir!"_

 _"_ _Then- Evangelions, begin attack!"_

Mari didn't need him to tell her twice.

"Alright then, let's go!" she yelled, as Unit-05 leapt forwards into action! The Eva hunched down, coasting from side to side as she closed distance with her enemies.

Screeching like nails on a chalkboard, Hofniel's eyes flashed, shooting out a pair of glowing white lasers. Mari instinctively swung her off-arm up. In a split second, her AT Field blazed to life, refracting the beams up and away from the cyborg at an extreme angle.

In retaliation, the girl levelled the Lance at the Angel, and squeezed the trigger. As a pair of panels retracted, the weapon's two new autocannons opened fire, sending a barrage of explosive shells slamming into the serpent. Seemingly more irritated than hurt, the Angel shrieked again, and surged forwards, attempting to remove the last of the distance between them-

That was when Unit-02 dashed in from the side, and smashed her axe into the Angel's throat with a two-handed swing.

Hofniel was thrown back, its AT Field just barely stopping the swing from decapitating it a second time.

 _"_ _Four-Eyes!"_ Asuka shouted to her, sparing a second to shoot a glance her way. _"You take the spider, I'll take the snake! Keep them busy so they can't team up on us!"_

"Roger that!"

However, Matarael hadn't been just standing around. As Mari turned, a thousand tons of flesh and shell slammed into her front, throwing the Eva off balance. In the nick of time, Mari swung her Lance up, catching the Angel's downwards slash on its armoured surface. The spider made no sound, but the way its eyes widened told Mari it hadn't been expecting such reaction speed.

"Thought I'd be slower?" the brunette quipped at it, forcing the monster back with a shove. "Big mistake!" Automatically, Unit-05's AT Field surged out, matching up with the Angel's own field, and neutralizing the phase space. With Cocytus's barrier having done irreparable damage to its defenses, Matarael was completely helpless to stop the loss of its remaining protection- something Mari was going to take _full_ advantage of.

"Eat this!" the Fifth Child yelled, striking back with a full-body swing. Even with the Angel's attempt to retreat, the Lance of Cassius left a mark, the armour cracked and buckled inwards from the impact. Recovering from its stumbling, the Angel planted its feet down, and glared at the Evangelion, a faint stream of orange blood dripping from its 'forehead' wound. Mari drew her Lance back, ready to try another strike- when she noticed something odd. Where it hit the pavement, the Angel's blood was steaming and bubbling…

Suddenly, Mari realised how this thing had been able to destroy Bethany Base.

Matarael's pupil shrank, and the surface of its iris bulged out.

"Oh, _crap!"_ the girl yelled, practically leaping backwards. A focused jet of orange solvent erupted from Matarael's main eye, slashing across the Eva's left pylon before it fell away into the surrounding buildings. Instantly, the solvent started eating away at the fin, the metal plates blistering and hissing as they corroded. A few flecks dripped off, the burning fluid glancing against the cyborg's arm. Mari hissed, and thought a command to Unit-05's systems. A second later, the melting pylon unlocked, and ejected away from the rest of the body, crashing to the ground.

"I'm not gonna let you do that again, you bastard!" the girl yelled, drawing a progressive knife with her left hand. "Eat this!"

The Eva rushed forwards, Lance readied once more.

* * *

The Third Angel swung out of the way again, letting Unit-02's Smash Halberd slam down into the street, fracturing the pavement into a million pieces. In one smooth motion, the red Eva twisted, yanking the oversized blade out of the shattered tarmac and into a horizontal slash. This time, Hofniel couldn't evade, and the Angel found itself thrown sideways, a chunk of its gold-plated rib cage broken open.

The Angel writhed where it landed, slithering upright and firing its eye beams again. With most of her AT Field occupied keeping Hofniel's from asserting itself, Asuka had nowhere near enough left to refract the attack away. The two blasts of concentrated plasma slashed across her upper chest, marring the armour with a sizzling scar, and forcing the pilot to bite back a cry. Unit-02 snorted angrily, and snapped open her shoulder pylons, unleashing a barrage of missile fire in retaliation. Hofniel's eyes flashed again, the Angel slashing apart most of the missiles in mid-air with its lasers before they could hit it- but the missiles distracted it enough for Asuka's purposes.

"Hi-yaaah!"

Charging forwards, Unit-02 thrust the halberd forwards, smashing the weapon's spiked tip into the Angel's face before it could react. A sickening crack rang out, as part of the Angel's upper jaw was almost torn off, only connected to the rest of its skull by the flesh inside the armour. It wasn't a Core hit, but the impact did a good enough job of stunning it, long enough for Unit-02's artificial arm to swing forwards, hand splayed into a grasping claw.

The Eva's fingers closed around one of Hofniel's three mandibles, and yanked backwards, ripping the segmented appendage off in a spray of indigo blood. Shrieking in pain, Hofniel lashed out, slamming its ridged tail into Unit-02's gut. As the Eva doubled over, the tail struck again, whipping into the side of the cyborg's face and shattering one of its four cameras.

Unit-02 stepped back, retreating temporarily to escape the Angel's thrashing body. Asuka heaved a breath, left eye twitching slightly from the feedback.

.

"...Damn," she muttered, forcing her Eva into a defensive stance. "Didn't expect this thing to be so damned persistent. That last one _hurt_."

 _[Small master?]_

The redhead blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the voice.

"Wha-"

 _[Look out!]_

Unbidden, Unit-02 jerked to the right, a pair of eye beams missing her by a couple meters, and breaking Asuka away from her lock-up. Even as she recovered, the girl _remembered_. She'd heard this voice, this presence _before_ \- during her first real fight with an Angel.

 _~You're here again? Why_ now?

 _[You came back.]_

Came back? What did it mean by 'came back'? She hadn't gone anywhere… except when they'd had to fight Sandalphon. Of _course_. Asuka hadn't been piloting Unit-02 that time.

Hofniel lunged, eyes burning furiously. Unit-02 dodged to the side, and swung her halberd, forcing the Angel to abandon a second attack.

 _~Well, what are you planning? It's not like I have time to chat,~_ Asuka replied.

 _[I want to_ help _you,]_ the voice answered, a hint of pleading to its voice. _[Like we did_ last _time.]_

Last time…

Asuka's lips pulled back in a grin.

 _~Really?~_

 _[Yes.]_

"Then let's do it!" the girl said out loud. "Unit-02! _Perfect synch!"_

The Eva's helmet split open, the jaw and forehead shifting away to expose four yellow eyes, each one a glowing slit. Its body tensed, trembling as the cyborg brought the connection with its pilot to their natural limit. Inside the Eva, Asuka could see the synch gauge shoot up, rising until it reached 100 percent and stopped. She could feel it... feel _everything_ \- the armour, the AT Field, the cybernetics- as if it were her own body. This went beyond normal piloting, beyond normal synchronisation…

Hofniel shrieked, and lunged, fangs bared to bite down on the troublesome Evangelion.

 _"_ _Now!"_

Eyes blazing, Asuka spun to the side, letting the Angel pass by before completing her revolution and slamming her Smash Halberd into Hofniel's spine. The Angel was helpless to stop its momentum, part of its spinal armour shearing off as it tumbled to a stop.

With the power of a god flowing through her, Asuka drew back her weapon, and charged into melee again.

Nothing was gonna stop her now.

* * *

Mari was having the time of her life now. Unit-05 stabbed and struck, dodging away from the jets of solvent and parrying Matarael's claws before they could hit. The Angel glared back, attacking over and over with dogged ferocity, without any care for its defenses. Its shell had been broken in several more places, its caustic orange blood now making any physical contact with its body a deadly risk. What's more, it seemed like the thing had an endless supply of the solvent- no matter how much it sprayed and bled, it always seemed to have more available. Nevertheless, Mari kept hitting it with everything she had.

The pupil of Matarael's main eye contracted again, and the flood of solvent forced the Fifth Child to leap out of the way, Unit-05's thrusters propelling the cyborg into the air. That eye… Mari was almost certain that it was the Angel's Core, or at least very close to it. She'd tried to gouge it out a few times, but stuff had gotten in the way- the coating alone was enough to nullify the 200mm cannons in her Lance, and the armoured eyelid it'd deployed was _clearly_ tough enough to resist a progressive knife. It _had_ to be important.

"Well then, let's see how your stupid eye armour does against _this!_ " Mari yelled, before Unit-05's remaining pylon opened up. Right as Matarael's eyes tracked up, three metal spikes shot out of the fin with a pneumatic thump, and stabbed into the main optic's lens before the armoured lid could slam shut. Each one trailed a pair of cables, linking the darts to the interior of the Eva's shoulder pylon- and the power cables leading from the pylons to the N2 reactor.

"Shock Anchors, discharge!"

Electricity poured down the cables, discharging directly into the Angel's eye with a thunderous crackle. Matarael began to writhe, limbs shuddering and thrashing as a sizeable amount of Unit-05's reactor output boiled the organ in its own fluids. The Eva jerked forwards, prompting a startled squeak from Mari before she dug the cyborg's heels in. It shouldn't be too much longer before-

With a disgustingly wet ripping sound, the Angel's eye ruptured, boiling hot solvent gushing out from between the half-closed lids. The cables of the now useless shock anchors retracted back into storage, their heads melted off by the organ's catastrophic destruction. Unit-05 retreated a little, her pilot suppressing a shudder of revulsion.

"Well…" she muttered. "That... worked. It was completely disgusting, but it worked."

Almost as if it'd heard her, the Angel started to rise again, its six remaining eyes glaring up at the girl. Its armoured eyelid was stuck, unable to close fully- and behind them and the ruins of its eye, Mari saw a glimmering red surface.

"Blow me down, I was _right_ ," the girl muttered, before the wounded spider pounced, striking with such ferocity that Mari was forced to propel herself away with the aid of Unit-05''s rockets to avoid the blows. The green and silver Evangelion darted left and right, slowly giving ground as it evaded the monster's rage-clouded swings.

 _~Just… need… to… get… an opening…~_

 _"_ _Four-Eyes!"_ Asuka interrupted, her voice filled with… glee? Mari shot a glance at the 'audio only' of the comms hologram, as she tried to keep up her defensive manoeuvres.

"Busy!" She fired back.

 _"_ _Look, try to draw the Angel over towards me- I'll do the same!"_

"Wait, _what?_ " Mari demanded. Draw the Angels together? Didn't they split up in the first place so the Angels _couldn't_ team up on them?

 _"_ _Trust me!"_

 _~...Well,~_ the Fifth Child thought. _~Can't be worse than any of Misato's plans.~_

"Roger that, Princess."

With that, Mari threw Unit-05 into a circular strafe, peppering Matarael with her Eva's head vulcans. The Angel turned, blood spraying out of its wounds in a hiss. As the surrounding block started to melt away, it charged after Mari, tearing a path of destruction through its surroundings. Unit-05 accelerated back, and fired a few more shots before spinning back to her direction of movement.

 _~And there she is,~_ the girl noted. Far ahead of her, a crimson Evangelion closed in, playing keepaway with what was left of Hofniel. The Angel itself was practically falling apart, more like a mess of bone and slimy musculature in the shape of a snake than anything else- but Unit-02 was something else _entirely_. The Eva seemed to carry that same limitless strength shown by Berserker units, but it moved with the fluidity and grace that could only be brought out by a pilot, all while its true eyes blazed like torches.

 _"_ _Alright, Four-Eyes, here's the plan,"_ Asuka called in. _"We're going to charge straight at each other, with the Angels right behind us. When I yell 'go', I want you to duck, and take the shot!"_

"Hit 'em while they're not looking?" Mari said back. "Heh- Sounds good, Princess! Let's do it!"

With that, the two cyborgs sped up, drawing their foes behind them like they were chained to them. Unit-05's stance widened, the Eva sinking lower as she drew back the Lance of Cassius. Unit-02 leaned forwards, keeping her halberd back and at the ready.

 _"_ _Three…"_

Hofniel screamed and roared, despite only half its upper skull left.

 _"_ _Two…"_

Matarael's amber eyes narrowed into slits, its legs slamming down over and over with a noise like a runaway train.

 _"_ _One…"_

Almost there...

.

 _"_ _Go!"_

Unit-05's legs shot out, forcing the Eva as close to the ground as she could get without smashing into the tarmac, and Unit-02 _soared_ over her. Instantly, Mari rammed the control stick forwards as hard as she could, putting all her effort into the blow!

.

 _Crunch._

 _Crack._

.

.

Slowly, despite her pounding heart, Mari looked up, and opened her eyes.

Hofniel's body hung limp and lifeless, its remaining eye now dark. Suspending it in the air was the Lance of Cassius, its point driven completely through the Angel's Core.

Arm shaking, Mari lowered her arm, and released the Lance, letting the dead Angel fall to the ground. The girl turned, looking over her Eva's shoulder.

Unit-02's chest heaved, great clouds of steam hissing from its nostrils. The cyborg's massive axe had been driven into the Eleventh Angel from overhead, and split its Core in two with the force of the blow. The flood of orange solvent seemed to have shut off, the remaining puddles and streams of the caustic fluid simply eating into the ground.

With a grunt, Unit-02 wrenched its halberd free of the corpse, and tossed the weapon to the side. The red Eva turned, staggering a little where she stood. Finally, the visual link in Unit-05's cockpit opened, letting Mari see Asuka's face again. The Second Child looked exhausted, slouched back in her saddle… but there was no mistaking the smile on her face.

 _"_ _...We did it,"_ she said.

Mari nodded, and smiled back in relief.

"Y-yeah. We did."

 _"_ _Hmm,"_ Asuka sighed. With a final hiss, Unit-02's helmet closed again, her four eyes dimming as the strength of the synchronisation left her body. The Eva stumbled forwards a little, and slumped into Unit-05, forcing the other cyborg to grab her and hold her up.

 _"_ _Kinda tired,"_ the Second Child muttered, _"Sorry, Four-Eyes."_

Gaining a loose hold on the silver and green Eva, Unit-02 leaned forwards, and nuzzled her armoured forehead against Unit-05's.

.

At last, all was right with the world again.


	37. Chapter 037

It had taken a little bit for Mari to get Asuka and the Evas back to the hangers, but it hadn't been particularly troublesome- just a bit awkward, really. Still, the Evas were back in their cages, and cleanup was underway up in the city.

Asuka, meanwhile, was still pretty drained, for reasons unknown to Mari. It wasn't dangerous, but the girl seemed far more exhausted than anyone who'd been piloting for that amount of time should be. That was why Mari now sat on a bench beside the Second Child, providing some support for her while the girl sipped some sort of sweet drink to get her energy back up. The brunette kept one arm around the German, who was still slumped into her, a faint smile still gracing her tired face.

"Hey, Princess?" The girl asked softly. Asuka glanced towards her.

"...Mm?"

"In a while, you think you'd be up for a little chat?"

A faint nod, and another sip of the drink answered her question.

"Mm."

Mari sighed, and pulled her partner a little closer.

This was just fine.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 037: You Can (Not) Go Back**

The man waited, looking out from the balcony at the mess of destruction that had consumed a sizeable chunk of London. Across the city- melted wrecks of buildings, shattered streets, blast craters, and places where the infrastructure had simply been torn apart by the passage of giants. The man waited, and took it all in.

.

"It's a big mess," someone else said, their shoes clapping against the hard floor. Kaji turned, watching as Charles Illustrious leaned back against the wall, a few metres away.

"...You speak Japanese?" The inspector asked, a little curious. He hadn't talked much with the man before, mainly due to business, but he'd be fine with having a chance to speak with the only father of a Pilot who seemed to get along with their child.

"A little," Charles answered. "I learned it because of my wife. I'm not very good at speaking it, but I can understand it well."

Kaji nodded. He could guess why the man was using Japanese- the same reason Mari and Asuka had chatted in English in Tokyo-3; he wanted this conversation to be between them and them alone. A smart move, if a little obvious.

"Well, you're right," Kaji said, looking back at the cityscape. "It _is_ a pretty big mess- I wouldn't be surprised if this branch has to shelve some of their projects while they fix all this up."

"However, I doubt you've come over to talk with me _just_ because you want to point out how much the city looks like something Godzilla walked through, Mr. Illustrious."

Charles sighed.

"Yes," the man admitted. "I came to talk because of the girls."

"They aren't going to be able to stay here much longer," Kaji says. "Not now that the Angels have resumed their attacks. Their break ends when the next one shows up; that was the deal."

Solemnly, Charles nodded.

"Of course."

.

"You know," Kaji offered. "It's probably fine if they stay a little longer- just a day or so. After all, preparing everything for their return is going to take a while."

"You'll have your chance to say goodbye, don't worry."

* * *

.

It had been a little over half an hour before Asuka's exhaustion had cleared up- and while the girl was still a little bit woozy, she'd made it pretty clear that she didn't want to remain in her LCL-soaked plugsuit any longer. Thus, with Mari able to keep an eye on her, they'd been cleared to head back to the lockers.

Of course, that was when Asuka had remembered Mari's request.

"Hey, Four-Eyes?" the girl asked, looking over at the Fifth Child. Mari paused, fingers freezing at the second button on her shirt. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

Mari exhaled.

"...Back during the battle," the girl began, as she resumed fiddling with her buttons. "When you'd told me your plan, you and Unit-02 were… _different_. It was like nothing I'd ever _seen_ before!" Mari turned, and looked Asuka in the eyes- not angry, not hurt, just… curious.

"What _was_ that?"

.

Asuka frowned, and leaned back on the bench a bit, propping herself up with both hands.

"Well," she said. "Well."

"Four-Eyes, have you ever… _talked_ to your Eva?" the redhead asked.

"Well… yeah," Mari admitted. "A little bit."

"Has it ever talked back?"

Mari blinked. The girl's brow dropped, slightly concerned by this turn. The fact was… she thought it _had_. Not as _words_ , per se, but Unit-05 had always seemed to have an almost _emotional_ reaction to Mari's words, like it could hear her and _understand_ her. And even then, that had been _before_ whatever had happened with Unit-02 against Sandalphon.

The girl's response was a single syllable, whispered through barely moving lips.

"Yes."

Asuka seemed to sink down a little, and sighed. The girl mumbled something indistinct, the hint of a smile playing across her lips. Her body rocked forwards, bringing her face closer to Mari.

"Okay. So, a few months back, when I fought the Seventh Angel, I… that was the first time I'd gone Perfect Synch."

Mari frowned, and raised an eyebrow in quick succession.

"I made the name up on the spot, okay? Just drop it," the girl said before Mari could interject, and quickly moved on. "The point is, I… talked with Unit-02- or rather, _it_ talked with _me_. And I told it to do something… _anything_ , really, to prove it wasn't just a useless puppet. And, well, it did."

In the wake of the girl's last words, a heavy silence seemed to fall across the room. Mari slouched a bit, her eyebrows knitting as she started to really consider, really _think_ about what her girlfriend had just told her.

The Evas were… alive. It wasn't _just_ her imagining Unit-05's 'responses', it wasn't _just_ a hallucination she'd had while stuck in Sandalphon, and it probably wasn't _just_ the cyborgs' programming going awry that led to them going berserk. Not when she had evidence that _someone else_ had experienced this as well.

The Evas were alive.

.

"Now, um… it's not really perfect," the German said, breaking the silence at last. "I don't know the details of whatever goes on there, but it _seems_ to just take a lot out of me when I do it…" Asuka trailed off, setting her focus on Mari. "... Hey, Four-Eyes, are you alright?"

The girl blinked, and quickly nodded.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. That's… that's all."

"You sure?" Asuka asked again. "You look kinda shaken up."

"Just… processing some heavy stuff, Princess," she explained. "Gonna need a bit, but I'll be fine again then."

"Okay," Asuka replied, a little reluctantly. "If you're _really_ sure." The Second Child reached over, and clapped a hand down on Mari's shoulder.

"Come on, Four-Eyes. Let's get going."

.

As the two of them stood up, and grabbed their things, Mari's mind finally reached a decision.

 _~Someday,~_ Mari thought. _~Someday, I'm going to tell her. I promise.~_

And with that, Mari left, following Asuka out of the room.

* * *

.

\- _Berlin, Germany_

.

"Nagisa," the old man said, his cybernetic voicebox intoning the words with notable displeasure as he advanced out of the shadows. "There has been a… _complication_."

The silver haired boy waited silently for the Chairman to continue. He wasn't surprised by the man's irritation; the Human Instrumentality Committee utterly _despised_ any change to their scenario that wasn't in accordance with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Kaworu had no such worries.

"Of what sort?" he asked. Kiel Lorenz, head of the committee, seemed to frown under his visor and mask.

"The recent attack," the man rasped. "It did not go as expected. What do you know?"

Kaworu Nagisa closed his eyes, and let the faint hint of a smirk tug at his lips. The old men were growing more dependent on his insights with each altercation- and that suited him just fine.

"The Call may affect us all, Chairman, but it does not bind us without give," the boy answered at last. "We may have to heed it in the end, but there is plenty of room to act freely- certainly enough for the Eleventh. I cannot explain it completely, but one could portray its actions as… selfless, in a sense." Kaworu lifted his gaze to meet Kiel's, staring at him with warm, red-gold eyes.

"After all, did it not free a suffering sibling- one who would otherwise have had no chance for the union it so desired?"

The old man did not respond.

.

"Of course, there are their actions after that," the boy continued. "That was more likely the doing of the Third, than anything else. Perhaps it desired revenge against the Unit that had led to its imprisonment. Perhaps it had simply lost any further regard for life. I do not know."

Now, the other man spoke up.

"This… cooperation," he said, any expression hidden by the mask he wore. "Do you know; will any others do the same?"

A thought came to the boy's head. A thought of the remainders; of seven shapes, churning and roiling in their own essence, each waiting for the moment they would arise. A thought of the empty space between oblivion and eternity, where the star-faced child spoke with the glowing wings. A thought of a giant of light, rising up with seventeen souls buried in her chest.

Kaworu closed his eyes again.

"...No. None of the Angels will do that again. I am certain of this."

.

"Good."

Seemingly satisfied, Kiel turned from the boy. Slowly, he began to walk away, retreating back into the shadows. Kaworu hung there, floating in the LCL without a word.

The boy thought.

.

* * *

.

It didn't feel like a last day, oddly enough. There wasn't any hint, nor a particular mood that told the Children 'your stay is over'. It just felt… normal. If neither had been aware in the first place, they probably wouldn't have guessed.

Of course, eventually, the time came. Nerv had finished preparing the Evas for transport, and the Children had finished preparing themselves. Mari, Asuka, and Kaji all stood at the docks, waiting alongside Charles as the ship finished its last few checks before their exit.

"Well," Charles said, and turned to face the other three. "This is it, I guess."

Mari nodded back slowly, and looked over at her dad. "Yeah," she replied. "I'm… I'm gonna miss you, Papa."

The man smiled.

"I'll miss you too, Mari," Charles said. "You as well, Asuka," he added, nodding to the Second Child. "Thanks for helping Mari recover."

The girl blinked at that, before replying with a knowing smile.

"Well, you know…" she said, before slinging an arm around Mari. "I'm sure as hell not giving _her_ up."

A foghorn blared from the ship, catching everyone's attention, and making it very clear that it had finally finished its preparations.

"Well, that's our cue," Kaji noted. "Time to go, girls."

As the two sighed, and begrudgingly separated to grab their luggage, the inspector looked over to Charles, and gave him a grateful nod.

"Thank you, Mr. Illustrious, for the help."

"No problem," the other man replied. "I'm glad I had the chance to help out like this. Until later then, Inspector."

.

* * *

As the ship pulled away, Asuka walked over to the railing. Mari was already there, one hand supporting her while the other one waved to the man on the shore. The Second Child leaned up, taking a spot next to her.

A few seconds later, Mari's waving wound down, and her hand dropped back down to the railing.

"Hey, Four-Eyes?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, Princess?" the brunette replied, glancing over out of the corner of her eye. The other girl took a breath.

"You know, your dad's… actually a pretty cool guy."

Slowly, a little smirk crept onto the girl's face.

"...Cooler than Kaji?"

Asuka turned, and over-exaggeratedly raised a single eyebrow.

.

"... Maybe."

Mari snorted.


	38. Chapter 038

\- _September 13th, 2000 AD. Antarctica._

.

"Come on, Akira," the man muttered to himself, forcing his legs to keep moving. "You can do this. You _have to_ do this."

Slowly, he walked forwards, cradling the unconscious girl in his arms as gently as he could. Thankfully, she was still breathing, despite the large piece of shrapnel that had hit her in the chest. He'd done his best to clean and patch the wound- now, all he had to do was make sure that she got to the escape capsule.

The reflection of a fractured mirror nearby caught his gaze. The man's eyes narrowed, the sight having given him pause.

Once his daughter was safe, Doctor Akira Katsuragi had one last thing to take care of.

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 038: The Past Will (Not) Repeat**

As Akira returned to his walk, his mind began to wander.

Adam.

That was what they'd called it, back when they'd first found it a year ago. A milky white giant, more than one hundred metres tall and buried deep under the ice- a being _billions_ of years old, but somehow shaped like a person. Perhaps the name had been a bit pretentious, but it had worked far better than 'anomalous entity number one' for conversation… and in a way, it had just felt _right_.

They'd learned all sorts of things from Adam in the following months. For one, its body was made of exotic matter, something more like solidified light than anything else, but otherwise mirroring the elements and molecules of normal matter perfectly. It hadn't metabolized, but instead ran off of some sort of semi-perpetual generator that was entombed inside the nucleus in its chest- an organ that Akira had named the 'Super Solenoid Engine', after his own theories.

But Adam hadn't been the only thing that his expedition had found. Buried next to it had been a massive, two-pronged spear, made of some unknown red material and wrapped up in a double helix. In some ways, the spear had an even bigger mystery than Adam- since they had at least been able to analyse Adam.

Of course, Akira reflected, analysing Adam hadn't ended so well.

The Contact Experiment; an attempt to prove that Adam's Super Solenoid Engine really worked the way the simulations of it had suggested. If it could truly provide a sustainable, completely self-contained source of energy, it would have changed everything.

That was less than an hour ago.

Now, the only people left alive in this place were him and his twelve-year-old daughter.

And Adam.

.

Lost in thought, Akira's foot caught on something. The man nearly tripped, but just barely managed to regain his footing in time. A jolt of pain shot up his leg; though he'd avoided falling, the piece of metal that caught him initially had left a nasty cut on his ankle.

Dr. Katsuragi winced, but kept silent. The wound hurt… but he _needed_ to finish this.

Struggling forwards with a slight limp, the man soldiered on.

* * *

Consciousness prickled at the edge of Misato's mind, as the girl finally began to stir. Her chest hurt- like something burning hot had been stabbed into it, and pulled out. The last thing she remembered… she was waiting by a window, and there had been some flash of light…

Slowly, the girl's eyes flickered open, and focused. Her father stood above her, carrying her in his arms. Around them, the base they'd stayed at was torn apart, exposing everything to the roaring elements.

"...Dad?" Misato whispered, voice trembling a little. Between the pain, and the uncertainty on what had happened, the girl was more than a little scared.

The man looked down, seemingly a little surprised that she'd woken up.

"Misato…" Akira muttered.

"D-dad… what's… going on?" the girl asked, forced to pause between words. Dr. Katsuragi sighed.

"Don't worry," he replied. "It's going to be okay. I just… made a mistake, and now I have to fix it…" The man trailed off, and stopped walking. Curious, Misato glanced around, and spied a large, cylindrical capsule a little ways away, its top slid open.

"You'll be safe in here," Akira remarked, as the girl felt herself slowly lowered into the tube. Misato turned, only for another jolt of pain to freeze her mid-action. A satchel dropped down into the container with her, landing with a muffled thump.

"Misato, I'm sorry," her dad said, as she finally looked up at him. "I… I wasn't the father you needed me to be. I was too busy with my work, too obsessed with other things to be there for you. I know I can't expect you to forgive me for my mistakes, but…" The man sighed, reaching behind his neck.

"... I hope that I can try to make it up to you now," he finished, as he lifted a small pendant on a cord over his head, and dropped it into Misato's lap. She recognised it; it was a tiny, white cross- one she'd seen her father wear many times before.

.

"Goodbye, Misato."

"...Dad, I-"

With a hiss, the capsule door slid shut.

.

* * *

For a few seconds, Akira stood there, beside the sealed capsule. He'd done it- these containers were meant to be almost completely indestructible, and keep their contents in just as good a shape. She'd be safe in there, no matter what happened next.

A chittering call reached his ears above the howling winds. Dr. Katsuragi turned around, looking back the way he'd come. A fiery effulgence lit the night sky in a hellish red, turning orange and then white the closer one looked to the epicentre. Autumn-coloured storm clouds gathered above, wrapped into concentric rings.

Akira steeled himself. He'd figured, from the moment the experiment had gone wrong, that he wasn't going to survive this- but that was a passive acceptance, and there had been some uncertainty. What he was planning on doing _now..._ it practically guaranteed his death.

 _~Think. Think of what will happen if nothing stops it. Think of what's happened here, but across the whole_ world,~ the man thought to himself. That's _what will happen if you don't stop this here.~_

The man sucked in a breath, and exhaled. He was… ready enough for this. Besides, as the one who had led the expedition, wasn't it his responsibility?

Akira Katsuragi was going to kill Adam.

.

* * *

The man retraced his path as fast as he could, rushing back towards the chamber where the primordial creature had first awakened. He just needed to get an idea of what was happening with Adam, and then he could figure out exactly what to do.

Akira rounded a corner- and instantly came to a stop, wincing as he raised an arm against the painfully bright light that flooded over him.

Beyond the halfway point, the rest of the room had simply vanished. Now, there was almost nothing standing in the way between where the man stood, and the chamber that had held Adam during the Contact Experiment.

Of course, the key word was _'had'_.

Adam kneeled on all fours in the middle of the chamber, its entire body lit up like an exposed light bulb filament. The air around it shimmered, warping from the sheer heat given off by the primordial being. Its restraints were long gone, clearly melted away just like the chamber walls. Adam was still, the only signs of life its chirping call and incandescent glow. Then, slowly, it began to move.

Frozen in place by the being's terrifying presence, all Akira could do was watch as Adam pulled itself upright, rising above the ruins of the facility to stand on its own two feet for the first time in a billion years… before the half-melted ice beneath its feet gave out from the creature's weight. Adam toppled down, its call rising to a shriek of alarm. A cloud of steam sprayed up as it crashed to the ground, obscuring the man's view of it, and breaking him out of his fear-induced stupor.

Unbidden, a thought came to Akira's mind at the sight.

 _~It's not used to things yet.~_

It only made sense; the creature had been in suspended for eons, and had woken up only about an hour ago. Factoring in an environment that was probably very different from whatever its original habitat had been, and the effect its body was having on its surroundings, and Akira could easily understand why Adam was having difficulty doing anything.

 _~Even so,~_ Dr. Katsuragi thought. _~It_ is _a pity that something like this has to be destroyed. Something so old and unique, with so much about it that we simply_ don't know… _But this isn't its time anymore, and people have_ died _because of it. I_ have _to do this.~_

The man took a step forwards- and paused, struck by another realisation.

He had no idea _how_ to kill something like Adam.

.

Oh, Akira knew _what_ would kill it- since Adam couldn't metabolise, he just had to disrupt the activity of its Super Solenoid Engine, and starve the creature of its energy supply- but this was a _research base_ , not a military installation. The only weapons he knew of on the base were the survival pistols, and those stood no chance at overcoming the binding forces of Adam's super-hard nucleus. To get past that sort of protection, he'd need something with a much higher level of penetrative ability, like an anti-tank weapon, or a drill, or-

 _~Or a_ spear _,~_ Akira realised. A spear, like the one they'd excavated alongside Adam _in the first place_. He even knew where it was- locked into a pneumatic crane a little ways away so it could easily be put into an analysis chamber or storage as needed. He didn't know how exactly he'd get the spear _into_ Adam, but at least Akira was no longer completely without a plan.

Down it the crater that had been the experimental chamber, Adam's chittering cries grew in volume, and its lucifrence rose brighter and brighter.

Akira was going to have act faster.

Gritting his teeth, the man turned to the right, and set off through one of the remaining doorways- hopefully, one that would lead him to the spear fast enough to stop the primordial creature in time.

* * *

.

The man's feet clanged noisily, as he pelted up the staircase. The first path he'd tried to take had been blocked by debris a short ways in, thus forcing Akira to take a longer route to the crane's location. It had cost him time- time that was starting to run out, if the return of Adam's chirping was any indication to him.

The man came to a halt at the top of the stairs, stopping to catch his breath for a second. The last half an hour had been quite tiring, and all his work was starting to catch up with him. Slowly, the man forced himself onwards, clutching the railing for support as he slunk forward.

Along the hall… through the door… turn left… take the entrance on the right side… he couldn't stop, he couldn't stop, not yet…

.

At last, Akira found himself in the storage chamber he'd been looking for. Just a little ways down the walkway was the crane, its manipulator clamp locked around the spear. Dr. Katsuragi made his way down the path, and sat himself down in the control station. Due to the way everything was situated, the pneumatic arm sat in its resting position close to where he was- close enough that the man could reach out and touch it.

 _~...Why not?~_ he wondered. After all, the object had been found to be completely sterile, and he wasn't expecting to come back from this… so he might as well give himself this one indulgence.

Akira's fingertips lightly brushed against the spear-

.

 _Life Knowledge Life Knowledge Life Knowledge Life_

The man flinched, drawing back from the spear. What was that voice? Was he hallucinating or something?

 _Metaphysical Field Detected_

 _Identified As K-Class Derivative Lifeform, Base Seed K04_

Evidently, he wasn't.

Before the man could do anything else, the entire length of the spear _shimmered_ , flickering to magenta for a split second before returning to its vibrant red.

 _Informing_

And in that split second, Akira's mind _clicked_.

 _Adam Lilith Seeds of Life Sealing Device Lance Of Longinus Seed L03 Active Risk Of Class Purple Scenario Emergency_

He… he understood- what the spear was, what _Adam_ was… and what both of them were supposed to _do_.

It asked him a single question.

 _What Is Your Goal?_

.

Akira took a breath.

"I need to stop-"

A howling, undulating shriek drowned out the last word, as the far wall vapourised, revealing a blinding light.

Now risen to her full height, Adam stepped forwards through the hole, the air around the creature blurring and quivering enough that it let out a constant hum. Six crystalline wings of light stuck out from her back, each one curled slightly forwards like a claw. The only reprieve from the Seed's unearthly glow- for he knew that now, that it was a Seed of Life- were her eyes and core, each one almost black in contrast to the rest of her fiery body.

Adam looked down towards Akira and the spear, regarding both with interest… and recognition. The giant strode closer, a sharp chime sounding with each step. Akira reached out, and pulled a lever, hoping that the pneumatic systems would still work in the steadily rising heat.

With a sharp hiss, the armature jolted upwards, aiming the spear towards Adam's dark red nucleus.

The Seed of Life came to an uncertain halt, eyes widening a little at the action.

Akira looked back at her, sitting still in the control station. Under his hands, he could feel something quivering, the resonance flowing down the crane's arm from its clamps- and the crimson weapon held by them. Slowly, he let go, and moved his hand to the release lever.

As soon as she saw the movement, Adam rushed forwards, thrusting out an open hand towards the seat.

All too late.

The instant the lever swung forwards, the clamps opened, and the Lance of Longinus shot forwards with a life of its own. The bident punched deep into Adam's core and out the other side, shoving the giant back a step from the force of the blow. As Akira dismounted from the station, the Seed of Life doubled over, one hand wrapping around the shaft of the spear in a weak attempt to extract it. Orange fluid spilled from both sides of the wound, steaming as it ran through the giant's fingers.

Adam staggered forwards, her hand slamming down on the walkway as she tried to regain some sort of support, bringing her head close to where Akira was now. While her body shivered and dimmed, Adam's eyelids slid a little ways open. A great pair of orbs swivelled towards Akira, each one a dark red iris in a sea of indigo. Despite how alien it all was… Adam's eyes weren't the eyes of something evil. They weren't the eyes of something malicious or hateful. Adam was simply trying to complete her mission.

 _~But that would have been the death of us,~_ Akira thought, meeting the progenitor's gaze. ~All _of us- and that is unacceptable.~_

Fear flickered in the Seed of Life's eyes- fear of failure, of death, of something else, he didn't know- before they squeezed shut, and Adam flared white, the glow shaky and unstable as her damaged Super Solenoid Engine was forced to increase its output. It was an effort doomed to failure, thanks to the spear stuck through the organ's centre. He didn't know what the consequences would be, but they weren't going to be pleasant for the primordial being. Adam was still going to die.

As the light got brighter and more unstable, Akira closed his eyes.

"...I'm sorry."

.

The last thing he heard was Adam's deafening shriek, before it all went white.


	39. Chapter 039

_~Aaaand, there!~_

Shinji smiled at the delicious smell coming from the stove, and looked over his shoulder, towards the doorway.

"Misato! Rei!" He called into the other room. "Dinner's ready!"

"Woo-hoo!" The older woman whooped, already enthused, even as Shinji set about organising the meal. By contrast, his other flatmate was still quiet- though he knew that wasn't any indication of anything, given Rei's mannerisms.

The Third Child set the readied bowls down on a wooden tray, so that he wouldn't have to make too many trips back and forth, or worry about spilling- just in case. Seizing the tray by its sides, the boy turned around, and walked out to the dining room, where the others were waiting for him.

As usual, Misato already had a can of beer out on the table in front of her, accompanied by an empty one a bit further to her left. On the other side sat Rei, waiting patiently as the boy walked in. At the sight of each other, the teenagers exchanged a little smile between themselves.

"Here it is," Shinji announced, and set down the tray and bowls in the middle of the table. "Hope you like it."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 039: You Can (Not) Return**

The last few days since Rei had moved in with them had been… nice. Really nice. Of course, Kensuke and Toji had teased him in their usual manner when they'd learnt about it, but he didn't really mind so much anymore. He liked Rei- simple as that.

Aside from that, there hadn't been many problems for him; school was going fine, Mari and Asuka were due back soon… really, the most worrisome thing for him had been when the Eleventh and Third Angels had appeared. Just when he'd pushed _that_ part of his life out of his mind, something had shown up to remind him of it. But even then, it hadn't been the tragedy that he'd dreaded would happen- not when his friends had recovered in time to act.

It was all good now.

He just hoped that it'd stay that way.

* * *

.

They'd decided on taking a little break in the local park, just to relax. Rei had occupied herself with examining the nearby pond, Kensuke and Toji were off chatting to each other, and Shinji… well, he'd settled on a bit of a rest under one of the trees, listening to his S-DAT.

It was definitely calming- lying there in the shade, just listening to the sounds of music.

 _._

Something went _wumph_ above him.

Slowly, Shinji looked up, at the multitude of leaves and branches.

 _~...What was-~_

 _Crack!_

Before he could finish the thought, a branch snapped, and something dark and hemispherical fell to the ground beside him. A helmet.

Shinji's eyes widened, as the boy scrambled to get out from under the tree. More branches cracked, and he swore he could hear… _grunting_ from within the tangle of leaves.

"... Ugh, there went my- _gah!"_

That was when Mari dropped through the canopy, jolting to a stop mid-air right where Shinji had been. Four long cables ran out of a pack strapped to her back, leaving her hanging above the ground helplessly.

"O-oh…" she chuckled, a sheepish look on her face. "... Hello, Shinji. Hope you don't mind me… ah… dropping in. Parachute kinda crapped out on me." The Fifth Child wiggled a little, unfortunately accomplishing little besides making herself swing side to side a little.

Shinji _stared_.

"..."

"Mind helping me out a bit?" The Brit asked. The boy blinked a couple times, before reality set in at last.

"Oh, uh… sure," he replied, coming over to the girl's side.

"There should be a little clasp there or something- I think it's... red?" Mari told him. The boy's gaze scanned over the pack, carefully searching for the release clasp.

"I… think this is it?" He said uncertainly.

"If it looks right, give it a shot."

Shinji nodded, and reached out.

 _Click._

"Ah!" the girl yelped, as she promptly fell to the ground at Shinji's feet. The boy looked down in alarm, concern flashing across his face. Mari just groaned, and pushed herself upright.

"Note to self; next time, remember that gravity still works," the girl muttered under her breath, as she brushed off the front of her shirt. Mari promptly turned to Shinji, and spread her arms.

"Shinji! Yay!" She announced, before giving him a quick but enthusiastic hug. "Good to see you again."

"Ah… good to see you too, Mari," the boy replied. "You seem… better. Are you…"

Mari just waved a hand.

"Oh, I'm alright. Nothin' can put _me_ down for long..." The brunette sighed, a faint smile on her face. "... Not even that stupid volcano fish."

"But my stuff can wait!" Mari said, springing back to her earlier enthusiasm. "I wanna know what _you've_ been doing without me, Third!"

.

* * *

.

As it turned out, Mari had just been the unlucky one. Kaji and Asuka showed up a few minutes later, the former hauling two rolled up parachute packs under his arm. Unlike Mari, they'd managed to land where they'd planned- though Shinji still didn't understand _why_ they'd felt the need to parachute down in the first place.

Whatever the case, they were back. They were all back.

This called for a celebration.

"Hey, um… guys?" the boy asked. They turned.

"I was going to go and ask Rei and my other friends after this, but… I was thinking of maybe hosting a little dinner party tonight. Would any of you like to come?"

"Are you kidding?" Asuka asked. "Of _course_ I'd like to come!"

"You _have_ kinda spoiled us there, Shinji," Mari added. "I mean- your cooking, after a long journey back from home? Yes, _please_."

Slowly, a smile crept onto the boy's face.

"Alright then," he said. "So, I was thinking… does five o'clock sound good? I mean, given our usual dinner times, and the time difference that you've probably been through, that's… kinda the best I can come up with at the moment."  
"Eh, it's fine," Mari replied, casually brushing off the boy's concern. Asuka just shrugged.

With two confirmations from them, Shinji turned to the only one left.

"And you, Mr. Kaji?"

The man smirked.

"Sure, sounds nice. Might as well try to be there."

Shinji nodded at that.

.

* * *

.

The party was 'just getting started'- as both Mari and Misato insisted on describing it- when the doorbell rang.

"I can get it," Shinji volunteered. The boy excused himself, and walked over to open the door.

"Hey," Kaji said casually. Shinji's eyes widened.

"Oh- M-Mr. Kaji! You're… um…"

"Late?" He asked, an apologetic smile on his face. "Yeah- sorry about that, Shinji, everyone. I had some business to attend to, and it took a bit longer than expected."

"A _bit?"_ Misato called from the room over. "It's been half an hour since we started this thing, and even longer since you actually got back!"

Kaji just smiled.

"Well, I'm here _now_ , Katsuragi," he replied, before turning back to Shinji.

"I do hope my timing hasn't cost me my meal, Shinji," the man added apologetically. "Though if it did, I guess it'd only be my fault, really." Shinji shook his head.

"No, it's… it's fine. I made a lot, so there's more than enough for everyone," he explained. The Third Child glanced over towards the dining room again. "Um… you should head over now, so it doesn't get cold."

The man chuckled lightly at that.

"Alright then."

With that, the two set off, back to where the rest of the merriment was taking place.

.

* * *

.

\- _Nerv, Commander's Office. A little bit earlier._

.

"I take it your mission was successful, Inspector?"

Gendo sat, his fingers interlaced beneath his nose. On the other side of the desk stood Ryoji Kaji, his briefcase lain before him.

"Quite," the ponytailed man replied, as he undid the clasp on the case. His easygoing expression from earlier was gone, leaving a far more serious look on his face. "Take a look at _these_."

Gendo stared. Before him was a spread of photos and documents, all taken from London Branch; schematics, maps, files... and the trio of unfinished Evangelion Units that had been hidden beneath it.

"All this stuff revolves around these three." Kaji gestured to the pictures. "They aren't mentioned anywhere in the mainframe- I had to pull the information from the Magi's secondary storage during the fight with the Angels in order to get it. If they're _that_ hidden, I think we both know who's behind it."

Gendo's eyes narrowed.

"Seele."

 _"_ _Exactly,"_ the other man said. "Seems they're not _just_ working in Germany- and we have no clue how many of the other branches they've got plants in, how many branches are secretly making _these_ things."

"They've accelerated their work, at any rate," Gendo muttered. "The Nemesis Series shouldn't be this far along yet."

"If you ask me, I'd be more concerned about _that_ one then the Nemeses," Kaji commented, as he pointed to the third Evangelion. "There's even less information on it then there was on the other two; it doesn't even have a proper _name_."

"Hmmm."

"In any case, I'll leave you to review this in your own time," Kaji said. "I have other work to do."

The man looked up, as Kaji walked towards the door.

"What sort?"

"Well, your son actually invited me to a dinner party tonight," the Inspector responded. "I thought it'd be rude to refuse."

Gendo Ikari just nodded in reply.

With that, the door slid shut.

.

Slowly, Gendo's hand went to his pocket, and pulled out a phone. Without looking, the man tapped in a pair of commands, before he lifted it to his head. There was a click.

 _"_ _Yes?"_ said a familiar voice.

"Doctor Akagi," the man replied. "Can you confirm that this line is secure?"

 _"_ _One second… yes."_

For just a second, a faint smile crossed the Commander's face.

"Excellent. I have need of you, as soon as possible."

 _"_ _Oh?"_ the scientist replied. _"...Anything I should expect?"_

"Yes." Behind his glasses, Gendo's brow furrowed. "It's time to advance the Scenario. Bring specimen AN-1. We begin Ascension _tonight_."

.

* * *

.

 _Author's Note: Finally, it's back! Yes, I realise just how long it took for me to get this chapter out. Yes, I'm not completely happy with it. But you know what? This means I can just get on with the next one, which will be_ so much _better than this._

 _Until then._


	40. Chapter 040

Misato woke up as she always did; bleary-eyed, sprawled across her futon, and with a jackhammer pounding away inside her skull. That was normal.

 _"_ _Mrrgle,"_ she muttered incoherently, as her eyes creaked open. There was something very heavy on her left side, pinning her arm to the floor.

"...Pen-Pen, why're you so _heavy?"_ The woman groaned, and pulled on her arm a little.

"Wark?"

Misato paused, and turned her head to the left. The freshwater penguin stood there, his head tilted in curiosity.

"...Eh?" The woman blinked. "Pen-Pen? But you're…"

"Katsu… ragi…" the lump on her right sighed. Misato's eyes opened a bit wider. She _knew_ that voice.

The woman rolled over again, and found herself staring into the sleeping face of a certain scruffy someone she'd known for a long time.

"Kaji?"

The man groaned, and shifted a little. Slowly, the special agent's eyes flickered open, and lazily focused on her.

"Huh…" he muttered. "Mornin', Katsu…"

 _"_ _Kaji?!"_

"Wark."

Kaji blinked, and looked at the penguin. And then at the room. And then at Misato.

"...Ah."

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 040: It Is (Not) Complete**

At some point, the party had clearly turned into a sleepover. Shinji didn't know _when_ exactly, but that was clearly why there were seven teenagers gathered around the table for breakfast.

Fortunately, it was all pretty relaxed; everyone had either been calm and quiet, or kept their small talk at a low enough volume that it didn't bother the rest of them. Of course, besides the typical early morning sleepiness, the presence of the class representative had probably helped with that.

Said class rep was one of the ones taking it easy, of course. The pigtailed girl had taken her spot between Rei and Toji, about a third of the way anticlockwise around the table from him. Meanwhile, Asuka, Mari, and Kensuke had all taken the seats to his left, the latter two of which were chatting casually about her trip back to Britain. Toji was mainly just focused on his food, while Rei seemed content to listen. Asuka, meanwhile, had taken a stance somewhere between them.

Nice and peaceful.

.

"I can't _believe_ you!" A voice shouted, rudely jolting Shinji out of his relaxed mood. The teenagers turned and looked with varying amounts of shock, as a red-faced and under-dressed Misato stormed her way down the hallway, her hands clenched at her sides.

"Misato, wait!" Another, more masculine voice interjected from behind her. "Really, it wasn't what it looked like!" The woman promptly spun around, as a boxer-clad Kaji made his way into view.

"Yeah, well what _was_ it? 'Cause it looked an awful lot like you were trying to _sleep_ with-"

"Misato?" Shinji squeaked. Both adults froze almost instantly. Slowly, their gazes broke away from each other, and tracked over to the table full of teenagers. The teenagers who'd just seen _everything_.

"S-Shinji?" Misato stammered. "You and… um… I… it's not-"

"- what it... looks like," Kaji finished together with her, unintentionally repeating his exact words from before.

For a few seconds, the silence was back.

.

"...Are you su-" Kensuke started to ask, before Toji clapped a hand over his friend's mouth.

"Yes!" the two of them snapped back.

Misato strode back across to where Kaji was, and grabbed the man by his wrist.

"Come on!" Misato hissed, as she pulled the man back into the hallway. "We're getting dressed so we can _explain_ this damn mess!" Kaji just nodded, offering no resistance before they both disappeared.

.

Asuka sighed.

"... It's gonna a while until I get _that_ image out of my head, isn't it?"

Shinji just nodded.

* * *

Fortunately, the _next_ time Misato and Kaji reappeared, both of them were fully dressed, and much more composed.

"So," Misato began, the look on her face perfectly conveying the attitude of someone who was _done_ dealing with nonsense. "Certain things may have _looked_ like they had happened- but they _didn't_. Kaji's just a _jackass_ who like to put himself in compromising positions, apparently."

"Hey!" The man remarked. Captain Katsuragi just turned around, and _looked_ at him. "... alright, fair enough."

Asuka coughed conspicuously, drawing everyone's attention.

"Yes, Asuka?" Misato asked.

"I think I'd like to hear Kaji's explanation as well," she said. The ponytailed man blinked, and smiled a little.

"Thank you, Asu-"

"-so I can get a sense of just _how_ far he's going to reach."

Both adults paused, as they registered her words.

Asuka sighed.

"I'm kidding. That last part was me, kidding. I _do actually_ want you to explain things, Kaji."

.

"...Okay," Kaji said, having decided to go with the opportunity he was being afforded. "So here's what happened. I was _just_ there so that I could keep an eye on Misato, and make sure that nothing happened to her."

"Like _what?"_ The woman asked.

"Like choking on your own vomit in your sleep?" He suggested.

"Sure, except that's _never_ happened to me."

"I didn't say it was common- just something that _could_ happen," came Kaji's reply. "Look, it was getting late, and I was tired, and you seemed… pretty much fine, so I just decided to lay down and get some sleep of my own. I'm not _that_ lecherous, Katsuragi."

Misato sighed.

"...Fine, whatever. Let's just sort this out later, when-" The woman's words died in her throat mid-sentence, as all the lights in the house flickered and died simultaneously. The front door unlocked a moment later, making it clear what had happened; as a safety feature, the electronic lock was made to automatically disengage if it ever lost power.

Off in the distance, the city's PA system turned on.

 _"_ _Attention. A state of special emergency has been declared. All residents in the Hakone region, please make your way to the nearest-"_ The PA system promptly cut off as well, its words dying in an electric hiss. That did the trick.

"...when an Angel isn't here," Misato muttered. _"Dammit."_

.

* * *

Shinji was starting to miss when driving _didn't_ feel like he was taking a ride on a horizontal roller coaster. Unfortunately, in _this_ sort of emergency it was pretty much unavoidable.

Misato drove like a demon, racing down streets with the same manic energy she'd had long, long ago. In fact, aside from the lack of giant green-black monsters, and the three extra passengers with them, Shinji could have sworn that this was Sachiel all over again.

"Hang on!" the woman yelled, as she floored the gas. Shinji's fingers clamped down instinctively on the nearest available handle.

At least the car wasn't super crowded, since Mr. Kaji had volunteered to drive the pilots' civilian friends to the nearest shelter.

.

* * *

The kids had split off after they'd arrived- down towards the changing rooms and Eva cages. Now, Misato just had to worry about herself.

The woman strode down the main hallway, ready for action. On the side of the hall, a door opened.

"Status report, _now_ ," Misato demanded, as Doctor Akagi joined her in her march to Central Dogma. The woman glanced over from her cup of coffee, and raised an eyebrow.

"You're a little snippy today," the scientist commented. "Even for an Angel attack. Nothing _happened_ last night with the party, I hope?"

"No, of course not! I'm just…" Misato exhaled. "Nevermind! Not important!"

"How about Kaji?"

"What _about_ Kaji?"

"Well, you know…" Ritsuko trailed off knowingly. The dark-haired woman scowled.

" _Nothing happened._ Granted, it sure as hell _looked_ like it did, but that's _his_ fault."

The scientist shrugged.

"Oh well, good to know," she said. "Anyways, the report. Unfortunately, after we confirmed it as a Blue Pattern, we only managed to complete _rudimentary_ analysis on it before the sensors in that sector of the city went offline. As far as the MAGI can figure, the Angel's draining energy from the power grid section by section, shutting down everything electronic it can come into contact with. Now, the power inside the Geofront is still working, so we _know_ it can't have gotten in yet, but surface scanners haven't spotted it- it's most likely subterranean, probably hiding around the first or second armour plate."

"Electronic specifically?" Misato asked. The other woman nodded.

"Yes. Mechanical devices and components seem to be unaffected."

"So it's just absorbing electricity… but why? Don't the Angels have their own power source?"

"Not all of them. The Eighth Angel _also_ fed off the power grid- but then again, that one was a virus, so a Super Solenoid organ would have been hard for it to store. This one's pattern doesn't seem to match the virus setup, however, so we don't know _why_ it's decided to go for it. Maybe the Angel's trying to weaken us before we fight it, maybe it's gathering extra power for an offensive manoeuvre, or maybe it's just _hungry_. There's still so much we just _don't know_ about the Angels and how they think."

"Well, at least we known enough to figure that they haven't bothered trying to find a _peaceful_ solution," Misato grunted, and pushed the door open as she entered Central Dogma. "And that suits me just fine. Everyone else, how are we looking?"

"Pilots have just reached their Evas, ma'am," Lieutenant Ibuki reported from her station on the far side of the operations deck.

"Great," Misato replied. "Update me when they're completely ready, Lieutenant."

The young woman nodded, as her superior officer strode to centre stage of the room, and looked out. A holographic map and live feeds from the MAGI and other cameras covered the other side of the wall, giving her immediate access to all the tactical data she needed.

.

"Pilots are in their Evas," Maya reported. "All Units confirmed ready."

Misato took one last breath. This was it.

"Evangelions, _launch!"_

.

* * *

Shinji ground his teeth together, as Unit-01 shot towards the surface. A few seconds later, the elevator's brakes activated, bringing the Eva to a halt at the surface in under half a minute. The boy took a breath.

"Evangelion Unit-01, deploying," he announced. The purple cyborg's head and shoulders slouched forwards a little, as it strode out onto the street.

 _"_ _Shinji, head two blocks down to your right; we'll send up a pallet rifle for you,"_ Misato said. The boy nodded, and urged Unit-01 towards the point she'd mentioned. A glance around alerted him to the others; Units 00, 02, and 05 had all made it up as well, and were taking similar actions.

"Hey, guys?" he asked. A trio of comms windows opened up on his HUD.

 _"_ _Yeah?"_

 _"_ _What's up, Shinji?"_

"I'm just… thinking," he replied. Mari nodded approvingly.

 _"_ _Thinking's always good."_

The boy sighed.

"You know what I mean. I just… I really hope this doesn't turn out like last time."

 _"_ _As in the last time_ you _piloted, I take it,"_ Asuka replied. _"Sandalphon. Because the last time_ we _had to pilot, the Angels went down easily enough."_

The boy nodded, as Unit-01 bent down to pick up the rifle. The redhead smirked, clearly confident.

 _"_ _Well, given that we're in a pretty different scenario, I don't think things will go_ that _badly."_

 _"_ _I concur,"_ Rei offered. _"Not only does our current battleground allow us to support each other_ before _the Angel can incapacitate us, but it's unlikely that an Angel would repeat the exact tactics of a previous one."_

"Mhm." Shinji smiled back, and nodded again.

 _"_ _Plus, you know, I've got a pair of bazookas, and Wondergirl's wielding a freakin' positron rifle,"_ Mari said. _"That's a_ little _more high-tech than some knives and fists."_

"...Yeah."

The comms window to Central Dogma flickered open, bringing Misato back into view.

 _"_ _Alright, pilots. Doctor Akagi's checked with the MAGI, and we_ think _we know how to get the Angel out of hiding so you can fight it. Everyone listening?"_

There was a round of nods and affirmative noises from the pilots.

 _"_ _Good. Now, here's the plan; all four of you are going to get close together, and 'flare' your AT Fields. Given the relation Angels have with their AT Fields, this should serve as a distraction, and hopefully impel it to see what's going on and expose itself to you. Any questions?"_

Mari's hand went up at the same time as Shinji's. Misato sighed.

 _"_ _Shinji, you first."_

The boy lowered his hand, and took a breath.

"If you don't mind me asking, Misato… well, how exactly does one 'flare' an AT Field?"

Misato rubbed her chin.

 _"_ _Hmm. Ritsuko?"_

 _"_ _You're expanding the area that defines your identity,"_ the woman answered from off screen. _"Think as though you're making a spectacle or something. The Evangelion should sort it out for you."_

"Ah," Shinji replied. "Uh- thank you." Misato nodded.

 _"_ _Now, Mari?"_

 _"_ _Nevermind,"_ the brunette said. _"It was pretty much the same as Shinji's."_

 _"_ _In that case, we're all clear?"_

There was a round of nods from the pilots.

 _"_ _Then let's go! Get to it!"_

Grabbing onto the controls once more, Shinji set off, as Unit-01 strode over toward its fellow Eva units. The Eva's feet crunched into the pavement over and over, as each massive stride took Shinji closer and closer to his comrades. With that speed, it wasn't long before he- and the others- had reached an open section in the city.

 _"_ _Everyone ready?"_ Asuka asked.

"Mhm," Shinji nodded.

 _"_ _Yes,"_ said Rei.

 _"_ _You know it!"_ Mari answered. The redhead gave a confident smirk.

 _"_ _Okay then. Now!"_

Shinji closed his eyes, and focused. He felt Unit-01's protective shield thin, and expand, enveloping his surroundings in a sense of… _being_. He felt the Fields of the other Evas- and something _more_. It was... something… _something_...

 _"_ _AT Field detected!"_ Maya reported. _"The Twelfth Angel is responding!"_

Shinji's eyes snapped open, his Eva's Field retracting almost instinctively.

An instant later, a ring of explosions burst through the ground around them, spraying fragments of reinforced concrete and dust into the air. Before the Evangelions could truly react, countless glowing strands surged out of the epicentres, and soared up into the sky. They spiralled around, twisting together into two distinct strands, before finally sealing together- forming a massive, double-helical ring of shining white tissue.

For a moment, the Angel just hung there, spinning slowly above them. Then its helical strands "blinked", and a thousand eyes opened along its inner surface- a thousand _human_ eyes.

 _"_ _...The target has been codenamed 'Armisael',"_ Misato announced. _"Evangelions, prepare for combat!"_


	41. Chapter 041

Moments after Misato's announcement, the Evas raised their weapons up, and opened fire in all directions. Automatic rifles thundered, rockets roared, and positron beams shrieked, as the numerous particles and projectiles sprayed outwards-

...And not one round hit the Angel.

.

In an instant, the air around Armisael was filled with a crackling cage of reddish electricity, which detonated and deflected the Evas' gunfire before even a single shot landed. The Angel unlinked along its length, shut its eyes, and twirled its twin strands together- fusing into a writhing, alabaster worm.

Sheathed in its armour of stolen lightning, Armisael shot forwards, and spiralled in towards the Evas. Once, twice- and the Angel's path changed. The worm's body bent ninety degrees, aimed directly at the quartet, and lunged at them.

" _Move!"_ Someone yelped. The cyborgs dove out and away, just before the Angel struck. With a crack of stone, Armisael plunged into the earth, and disappeared underground once more.

Quiet settled over the city again.

.

" _...what,"_ Mari said, as Unit-05 pushed itself up a little. Though the Angel itself had failed to strike them, its electrical shield had left an unpleasant tingle in all four's bodies. _"What the_ hell _was that?"_

 **Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

 **(Not) the End**

 **Chapter 041: It Is (Not) Whole**

The other Evas got to their feet shakily, sensors flicking about as they rose. The Angel's sudden appearance, and equally sudden exit… its malleable- and somewhat disturbing- form… its peculiar defense… it had left the quartet a little bit on edge. The silence of the surrounding city was almost oppressive, bearing down on them with visceral tension. The only noise came from the Evas themselves- the clang of their armour, the scuffing of their feet, the heavy breathing of their pilots- everything else was eerily quiet.

Finally, one of them spoke.

" _...it didn't use its AT Field,"_ muttered Rei. The others paused, and glanced over curiously.

" _It… what?"_ Shinji asked, softly.

" _The Twelfth Angel- when we attacked, I didn't feel it raise its AT Field,"_ the girl said. _"Not even to a passive level. It only used that electrical defense."_

" _What? But… why would it do that?"_

Unit-00 shrugged, and clamped the positron rifle back onto its shoulder. Rei's response was just as soft as before.

" _...I'm not sure."_

At that, the Fifth Child spoke up.

" _Probably some horrible ability or something. However, I'm a little more concerned about where this thing_ is _right now. Misato?"_

The comms crackled. From the background, several voices could be heard speaking indistinctly, before the Operations Director spoke.

" _Sorry, we've got nothing. The subterranean sensors are offline from the Angel's draining, and with the AT Field down we... can't get a lock on its phase space. Unfortunately, until we get some more systems online, you four aren't going to have much in the way of assistance."_

" _Damn,"_ the British girl muttered. Unit-05 twisted around, and faced the others. _"What's our plan now, guys?"_

.

Asuka frowned. They'd evaded the Angel's attack alright, but now it had run off- now, they wouldn't know where it was going to come from until the last moment. Still, they needed a plan, even if it was just an outline.

"Well, first things first," the Second Child announced. "We stick together. No going off on our own, not when we know so little about this thing's capabilities."

The other Evas glanced over. Their heads bobbed affirmatively- not a full, intentional nod, but the sort of movement taken from subconscious agreement. Asuka continued.

"Second thing would be to find it before it can reach Terminal Dogma- preferably before it can get into the Geofront, even. And finally, we're going to need a way to kill it. That electrical shield screwed up our weaponry, and since it's not an AT Field our Evas can't neutralize it. That means we'll either have to get something that can work _through_ the shield, or take the shield _away_ from it."

That was pretty much it. Asuka knew next to nothing about the Angel, beyond what she'd already seen, and while she knew a lot she was far from a master tactician.

" _You_ do _know I'm the operations director for a reason, kids?"_ Misato's voice came humorously over the comms, breaking the momentary silence.

" _Still, good start, Asuka. We'll get working on solutions and restoring sensor function down here- you and the others just worry about finding that Angel!"_

The girl nodded, a faint smirk coming to her face.

"Roger that." She turned Unit-02 towards the others. "Come on, you three- we've got an Angel to catch."

As the others stepped closer, the blue shape of Unit-00 approached a little more.

" _Sohryu,"_ the First Child said. _"Assuming the Angel maintained a straight path after it went underground, I believe we should head west. It's likely that the Angel is in that direction."_

"Hm." Asuka's reply was a simple nod of acknowledgement, before she started off through the city, the others moving up alongside her.

.

Of course, given the power situation, there were some… noticeable differences in the city. Namely, it was quiet- just a little _too_ quiet to ignore, in fact. It put her nerves on edge, made her feel… twitchy. And while the increased attentiveness might have proved useful against a more _conventional_ opponent, against an amorphous, shape-shifting burrower it probably wouldn't make much of a difference.

The Evas snuck between the buildings, their armoured feet treading softly as possible as they did. Unit-02 led from the front, Units 01 and 00 stayed on the sides, and Eva Unit-05 took up the rear. Everyone kept watch. Everyone looked. Everyone waited.

But not for long.

Asuka had just passed the edge of another intersection when she feltit- a presence, like a web of sticky, cold blood wrapped around her. There was only one thing it could be.

 _~...Angel.~_

To her left, a section of pavement ruptured. Sparking, wiry cables lashed out like whips, ripping through the surrounding buildings as they struck at her. Eva-02's AT Field flared to life, sending the tendrils skidding off its surface. Undeterred, the animated cables swung out towards the other Units.

Unit-00 raised its Positron Rifle on instinct, intent on vaporising the incoming threat- but before Ayanami could pull the trigger, the tendrils had wrapped themselves around the end of the gun. In moments, they tightened, crushing the weapon's emitter and rendering it useless. Unit-01 tossed its own gun aside, and seized the wires in one hand. In a single action, the purple Eva had drawn a knife from its left pylon, and sliced through the whole group.

Unfortunately, this was as far as Asuka focused on the two- since yet more attacks had begun. She just barely noticed another group of tendrils wrap around Unit-05's hind legs, when her throat tightened unnaturally. The girl spun Unit-02 about, ripping off the wires that sought to choke her Evangelion out.

"Rrg! What's going _on_ here?!" Asuka demanded, bringing her sole Stingblade to bear on the swarm of broken cables. Her AT Field had regained definition with a single thought, allowing her to focus on destroying the attacks without as much worry.

" _We've confirmed a Blue Pattern!"_ Misato reported from Dogma. _"The Angel's using the power grid as a weapon!"_

"If you can detect it, then where _is_ the damn thing?"

" _Nearby; we're getting the same sort of readings as when it congealed."_

Asuka grunted unsatisfactorily. Fighting _that_ thing when they were already tied up with the damn power grid? This Angel was getting to be a real pain in the ass.

Nevertheless, ceasing the fighting wasn't an option, and the Second Child continued her vicious defense against Armisael's abilities.

Part of Shinji- the part that _wasn't_ involved in desperately fighting off a barrage of possessed power lines- really hoped that the local district had been evacuated. The nearby buildings, still stuck in their extended position due to a lack of power, had made it difficult to move about without colliding against something, and both sides' attacks weren't exactly harmless to their surroundings. If there were people still in there…

Well, he didn't want to think about that.

A loud clang told him that Rei had finally discarded her rifle, like he had a little while ago. The blue Eva rushed in from the side, slicing a bundle of cables with a narrow rectangle of a knife, and moved to stand beside him once more.

" _There are a limited number of power cables in the local grid,"_ Rei said to him. _"Eventually, the Angel will run out."_

"Yeah," Shinji replied, giving Unit-01's head a quick nod. He could kind of see that already; there weren't nearly as many active cables as there had been at first. They just had to-

 _DUCK!_

The command flashed into his mind, unbidden and loud. Stunned by its suddenness, Shinji's response didn't have the same sort of spontaneity- and that, in turn, let Armisael line up its attack.

Before he knew what had happened, something fast and heavy slammed into his back, throwing him head-first into a building. A crackling, squirming _thing_ whooshed overhead, accompanied by the sound of glass and steel shattering. Dull pain flared across his upper body, and Shinji frantically forced himself upright, sending Unit-01's eyes darting all around.

 _~Wha- huh-?~_

Around him, the writhing mass of wires slowed, individual tendrils losing strength and falling to earth. Above, a shimmering thread of light thrashed through the sky, its length sheathed in a cage of lightning.

Before his eyes, Armisael looped around, and plunged towards them- no, towards _Rei_ , he realised. Unit-00 and the other two were still fighting off the remaining active cables, and only part of their focus could be brought to the Angel.

"Rei!" Shinji shouted. The blue Eva turned, saw the Angel's approach-

Too late.

Armisael struck the Evangelion in the side, cutting through its flaring AT Field as if it wasn't even there. Momentum flung them both along, shattering another building behind the blue cyborg. Unit-01 spun around, all thought of the animate cables forgotten.

Partially embedded in a second building, Unit-00 spasmed, clutching violently at its right shoulder. The tip of Armisael's body had embedded itself in the middle of the Eva's arm, and wriggled about like a parasitic worm. Before Shinji's eyes, the limb's surface began to bulge out, grotesque veins swelling up beneath the external coating, all branching from the point of contact.

.

Then the crackling of the Angel's skin dimmed away, and Armisael _changed_.

Its body swelled, growing and warping like a malignant tumour, as its free end twisted around to face Unit-01. The flesh split, jaws of jagged teeth yawning wide apart. Like a horrible tongue, a gangly arm of black-green shot out, its hand tipped with a trio of bone claws. A sense of familiarity dawned on Shinji, as he yanked the Eva back in time to avoid the swiping talons.

 _~I- I've seen that before! Where have I-?!_

The hand spread open, and a burning violet whip erupted from its palm, slashing past the boy's power cable as he executed another hasty dodge. _This_ time, he got it.

"T-that was from the Fifth Angel!" he exclaimed. "And the arm- that's the Fourth!"

" _You mean this thing's_ copying _them?!"_ Mari cried. Another section of Armisael had split off to strike at the green Eva, becoming a segmented tentacle with shards of floating, blue crystal for fingers. Sandalphon and Ramiel.

And still the Angel continued to mutate. Loops of flesh unwound, exposing clusters of amber and blue eyes that dripped with acrid orange liquid. The skull of the Third Angel lolled limply from a side, points of emerald light flickering in the sockets. Writhing threads of black matter slithered about the shattered pavement, covered with patterns of crimson circuitry. Great green-grey arms stretched skywards, copied branching from the fingertips until they were too small to make out. The remaining alabaster tissue contorted and stretched, the occasional flicker of lightning running across its skin.

Meanwhile, the veins infringing on Unit-00's arm had continued to grow, removing all definition from the contaminated limb.

Somewhere in the background, Shinji could hear people shouting.

Shouting… and screaming. Someone was screaming.

But it wasn't Rei.

He was the one doing it.

Unit-01's arms had swung up, and opened out into plasma cannon mode. His fingers crushed down on the triggers, squeezing them over and over with obsessive fury. Jets of boiling ions sprayed against the mottled flesh of Armisael, through the non-existent phase space, and carved searing gashes into the undulating monstrosity. The crystal-clawed tentacle swung around, and was caught by the Eva's AT Field, its fingers shattering into splinters of glass even as the plane of energy buckled beneath the blow.

A green and silver blur lunged in from the right side of his vision, and slammed the end of a long tube into the point where Eva and Angel had joined.

Then Unit-05 pulled the trigger.

.

A blast of raging fire erupted from the point of contact, swallowing up the shapes that had met there. Armisael's malformed bulk pulled back on all sides, and shook, its body lashing about so violently it seemed as though it would tear itself to pieces in its throes. And it nearly did- for as it spasmed and twirled, the parts of other Angels lost both colour and detail, melting away like candle wax as Armisael slowly reverted to its true form again. The serpentine Angel flung itself into the sky, soaring unsteadily away from the Evas.

But Shinji was focused on something other than the Angel.

Unit-00 had toppled limply to the side, its right side blackened and smoking. Mari had caught the Eva before it could hit the ground, her broken bazooka thrown carelessly to the side. Shinji saw the remains of its arm- a torn and bloody stump of muscle and bone, severed halfway through the bicep. However, the veins had gone from it completely- not a hint of contamination was left on the blue Evangelion.

"...Rei?" the boy asked, as he took a step forwards. Unit-01's forearms had partially telescoped back into their normal shape, though enough was open to let them cool down. The Eva's head tilted inquisitively, its pilot hoping for a response.

Rei's channel flickered back on. The blue-haired girl was leaning slightly to the side and breathing heavily, but she was still very much alive.

" _...I'm here,"_ the First Child sighed softly. _"I'm-"_ Rei's face contorted in a wince, as Unit-00 grabbed at its stump. For a few seconds, she didn't say anything, before the pain started to ebb.

" _I… I'm okay,"_ she said again, clearly able to see to worry on the boy's face. _"It's… it's gone. It's gone now. I…"_

As Rei paused to take another breath, Mari spoke up.

" _I'll take care of her and Zero, Shinji,"_ the Brit said. _"Don't worry. You and Princess just stop that Angel, alright?"_

Rei looked towards the screen, and gave an encouraging nod. Shinji swallowed.

"...alright."

" _First, however, we're going to need new weapons."_ That was Asuka, whose portrait had finally popped up again. Shinji looked to the left, and caught a look at Unit-02 as it stepped forwards. The red Evangelion had lost parts of both shoulder pylons, one of the curving horns on its forehead had been sliced clean off, and most of its armour was partially crushed or laced with what seemed to be hundreds of shallow cuts. Asuka caught Shinji's stare.

" _The Angel tried to constrict me with its cables while you three were occupied,"_ she answered. Unit-02 held up a hand, displaying the gleaming, hooked claws on the ends of its fingers. _"It failed. Come on Third, we've got a monster to slay."_

Shinji nodded again, this time more confidently. He and Asuka turned, and faced the rough direction of the Angel. Armisael still twisted through the air, but it seemed… uncertain. Back and forth it flitted, before reversing directions and sinking downwards again.

" _...Sohryu. Shinji,"_ Rei spoke up again. _"The Angel's AT Field… it's inverted. It pulls things in. That's why it didn't defend with it."_

Shinji glanced back for a moment, and nodded.

"...Got it. Thanks, Rei."

" _Misato,"_ Asuka asked. _"Where's the nearest supply port?"_

" _Three blocks down your left. We'll send up weapons."_

" _Roger."_

With that, the two Evas set off, stomping down to street to where the supply port waited. It was visible from here- a rectangular emplacement with a metal shutter that slid open as they approached. They just needed a little bit of time to get there, and then-

.

Shinji felt something cold, in the back of his mind.

.

Before he could address it, a glowing thread of flesh swooped overhead, passing the cyborgs in an instant. The Angel.

"That's the-"

" _Wha- oh, no!"_

Armisael turned towards the ground- no, towards the _supply port_ \- and shot down. Swift as an arrow, the Angel plunged into the ground, shattering the port around it. Unit-01 and Unit-02 came to an abrupt halt, and looked at each other. It was obvious what they were thinking.

The Angel had stayed around the surface, most likely blocked by the Geofront's armour layers. The supply ports were a direct link to the armoury, which was _inside_ the Geofront.

That meant the Angel now had a path that lead straight to exactly where it wanted to go.

.

" _We need elevators,"_ Asuka said. _"Now."_

Shinji nodded.

Then both Evas started to run.

.

Asuka swore viciously under her breath. The Angel had gotten past them just like _that_ , and they hadn't even had the chance to stop it that time! Hell, given its speed, it wouldn't need half as long to penetrate the Geofront. And if they let it get to Terminal Dogma…

Well, all the pilots knew what would happen then.

"Damn!" she hissed. "The elevators are going to be too slow for us!" The Second Child raised her voice.

"Misato!"

" _Yes?"_ The woman replied.

"The elevators aren't fast enough! Can you use the emergency explosive bolts to get us an entry hole?! We're gonna need a path to the upper Geofront, and fast!"

" _I-"_ Misato blinked, before a cocky grin flashed across her face. _"Now_ that _sounds like_ my _sort of plan! Makoto, the nearest evacuated set of bolts! Do it now!"_

Asuka turned her focus to Shinji.

"Shinji, we-"

" _I heard!"_ he replied. Ahead of their Evas, a series of explosions cut a giant rectangle through the ground, severing the entire section's connection to the rest of the Geofront shell. In seconds, gravity would take hold and suck it down.

"Now!" she yelled. "Jump!"

With approximate simultaneity, the Evangelions purged their umbilical cables, and leaped over the rectangle's boundaries. Then their feet slammed into the pavement, and the block was jolted free of its surroundings- free to plummet into the Geofront.

With the aid of the Evas' landing, part of the process of accelerating during the fall had been bypassed entirely. The pair stood, legs bent and bodies crouched low, as the doomed block shuddered and shook around them. The jagged walls of layered armour plating rushed past on all sides, tearing apart the edges of the concrete pavement that scraped against them. For a few seconds, it was just that- the rushing of the dark walls, the shrinking of the light above, the rumble and undulation of the ground beneath their feet…

Then they broke through.

.

Below stretched a great expanse of open ground- flat plains, rolling hills, a small forest, and even a fair sized lake. In the centre was a blue pyramid, surrounded by a few other buildings. They looked so small from up high, and the ground stretched on and on, until it finally met the curving walls of the massive structure.

Time seemed to slow for a moment, and the Second Child simply _stared_ at the sight.

 _~...I've never seen the Geofront like this,~_ Asuka thought. _~It's… stunning.~_

Then a flickering ribbon of light, nearly reaching the ground below, wormed its way into view. Recognition kicked in. Asuka shoved her awe to the side. It was go time.

"There it is," she growled. Unit-01 looked over towards her.

" _Let's finish this,"_ said Shinji.

"I couldn't agree more."

A short run-up was all they needed, before the purple Eva and the red Eva sprang off the plummeting stack of armour and city, and hurtled down towards the Angel by themselves.

Momentarily, Asuka glanced to the side.

"...Shinji?"

" _Yeah, Asuka?"_

"Do you remember Israfel?"

The boy nodded.

"And our synchrony training?"

Another nod. Realisation shown in the Third Child's eyes. Asuka grinned, and looked back at the Angel.

"Let's put that to good use."

" _AT Field!"_ They shouted together. _"Maximum power!"_

With that, the two Evas slammed down onto the ground. Rippling hexagons flared beneath their feet, the nigh-perfect defense shielding both the machines and the ground from the incredible shock of impact- and letting the Evas react as fast as they could.

Simultaneously, the red and purple giants jumped backwards, avoiding the electrifying slash of Armisael's body that struck right before them. Asuka and Shinji rose to their feet, and swung their bodies back to ready.

" _Misato! Weapons!"_

When they were held in the armoury, Eva-scale weapons were contained in individual cases. When they needed to be deployed to the surface, this case was jettisoned pre-launch, but short-range launches- such as the Geofront interior- kept these cases attached. In this case, it was a definite advantage- with the case in the way, there wasn't an exposed opening for the Angel to worm into down here.

A pair of cases slid out almost instantly, one beside either Eva. Their fronts unlatched, and the Evas snatched up the offerings as fast as they could, before springing back into action.

Simultaneously, they raised their new weapons against the approaching Armisael, and fired. An orange capsule roared out, arcing towards the Angel alongside the slim cylinder Shinji had fired. Predictably, red lightning burst from the Angel's skin-

Both projectiles exploded, the seemingly premature detonation firing their internal payloads into the worm's body; a cone of grapeshot from the end of the cylinder, and a spray of burning shrapnel from the capsule-shaped grenade. With no AT Field to defend, and its electrical armour subverted, Armisael caught both blasts full on.

Asuka and Shinji rushed out to the sides, moving diagonally away from each other and towards the Angel. Armisael reared out of the cloud of smoke and fire, momentarily splitting down its centreline into ring form before their second shots could make contact. Grenade and grapeshot threw their payloads at the Angel, but the sudden transformation worked to the being's advantage, and much of the shrapnel passed through the empty space it used to occupy.

" _It's starting to wise up,"_ Shinji warned.

"I _know_."

Apparently, Armisael considered Asuka the greater threat- as, without warning, it spiralled into a thread again, and shot towards her like a bullet. A hand rose up to her pylon, hoping to grab-

 _~Schiesse! My pylons don't_ have _knives!~_

" _Asuka! Catch!"_

At the shout, the Second Child flung her grenade launcher away, and swung her right hand up. Something solid slapped into it.

Without thinking, the girl slashed out with it, tearing open a gash in Armisael's tip and sending it spiralling away. Asuka glanced down for a second. Unit-01's Progressive Knife glinted meanly in her hand.

"Good save, Shinji!" she cheered. "Now let's get this thing!"

Unit-02 passed the knife to its other hand, and charged towards the Angel, the purple form of Unit-01 sprinting to catch up with her. The horned Eva raised its gun, fired another canister. Bits of Armisael sprayed across the grass, leaving the reeling Angel too stunned to react when Asuka swung her remaining Stingblade lengthwise through a quarter of its body. The blade stuck just before it could tear free, but Asuka didn't want them to lose momentum. A quick mental command, and the superheated sword ejected from Unit-02's arm, letting her follow up with a quick slash of the knife. Shinji didn't bother with a slash, but plunged the end of his second knife into the Angel's side, which sprayed LCL like a burst fire hose.

Unfortunately, while this did seem to hurt the Angel a lot, it also gave it the chance to start wrapping strings of tissue up the Eva's arm. The boy let out a cry of alarm, and tried to pull away- but the Angel continued to burrow its tendrils into the end of the limb.

"Shinji! Ditch the arm!" Asuka said. Thankfully, he heard her. Unit-01's right hand dropped the shotgun, and spiralled open. A blast of plasma shore the infected limb off at the elbow, giving the Evas a chance to fall back momentarily. As they did, a thought came to her head.

"We're going to need some sort of high-power, point-blank attack to take that thing out," Asuka noted aloud. "Melee strikes can get past its shield, but it'd expose us to contamination again. Something like what Four-Eyes did with her bazooka- huh?"

An ascending whine from the side caught her ear; Unit-01's remaining plasma cannon was charging up again.

" _This would work, right?"_ Shinji replied. _"If I overload the cannon, and fire it in close quarters, then it should-"_

"-then it'll self-destruct, and take the Angel with it!" the Second Child finished, realising what he was suggesting. "That would actually work!" She grinned, and clenched her Eva's left hand into a fist. A panel popped up on her screen, displaying a schematic of Unit-02 with its left arm flashing. "Especially if I add _this_ onto it!"

Evangelion Unit-01 looked over at her, and nodded.

" _Right- let's do it!"_

Purple and red charged forwards again, barrelling towards the wounded Angel as fast as they could. Armisael's attention swung back to them, its ragged body thrashing with fury as LCL bled from its cuts. Its front end split open like a spiralling mouth, sprouting tendrils and teeth, polyps and pincers, all of them readied to attack the Evas from each and every side the moment they struck-

"Now!"

" _Raaagh!"_

As mirror images of each other, Asuka and Shinji lashed out, and drove their fists into the Angel's heart.

And pulled the trigger.

With any other Evas, against any other Angel, it wouldn't have worked. But Armisael was damaged, bereft of a defensive AT Field, and exposing its innards to the Evangelions. So when Unit-01's overloaded plasma cannon discharged at the same time Unit-02's left arm self-destructed, both weapons buried elbow-deep in the Angel's flesh, the full force of the detonation was unleashed upon it.

Instantly, the three fighters were swallowed up in the blast, as an expanding ball of fire and light burst open between them, silhouetting their forms for a moment before the shadows vanished in the glow.

Though it seemed longer for everyone watching, it took just a few seconds for the explosion to blow itself out, and expose the aftermath. The epicentre of the blast had been scoured clean of grass, leaving a patch of bare and blackened earth in its place. Orange stains lashed across this and the surroundings, vapourised droplets of LCL steaming and fizzling where they'd been splattered. By comparison, the Evangelions- sprawled at the edge of the blast radius, and slowly struggling to more upright positions, were fairly intact. Aside from the damage they'd taken in the fight, the only new wounds were the mangled stump of Unit-01's elbow, and the empty socket of Unit-02's shoulder. Their AT Fields had done what they were meant to, and saved the cyborgs from destruction.

And then there was the Angel.

The last few pieces of Armisael- just a core and a few scraps of smoking flesh- had come to a halt even further from the epicentre than the Evangelions. It lay there on the ground, wriggling and squirming like a demented, half-dead octopus. As it did, strands of meat and sinew began to drip out of the core, slowly merging with the remainder of its body.

Given time, it might have regenerated.

Maybe.

Then Unit-00 dropped through the hole in the Geofront roof, and drove an upside-down Sonic Glaive through the core. Armisael burst like a water balloon, showering all three in a spray of LCL.

Unit-02 and Unit-01 froze mid-action, and just _stared_ at the one-eyed Eva. Quiet settled over the Geofront.

.

Then the enthusiastic applause of Unit-05 and its pilot rained down on them from above.


End file.
